Prior the Incantatem
by Templa Otmena
Summary: After Harry returns to Hogwarts following the third task James, Lily, Cedric, Bertha and Frank Bryce find themselves seemingly alive and well in the school grounds... A canon approach to a distinctly AU event.
1. Shielding Harry

**Disclaimer- **The characters, plot and places of _Harry Potter _are the property of JK Rowling.

**Author's Note- **As the title to this fic suggests the _Priori Incantaem _effect, as mentioned in _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_ plays a major role. I am writing this fic from the premise that it was Lily who came out of Voldemort's wand first during the Third Task. In the earlier editions of the book, like mine :), it was James who first makes his appearance but once this error was spotted _The Goblet of Fire_ was reprinted to correct this mistake, as of course, James was murdered before Lily.

As the title to this fic suggests the effect, as mentioned in plays a major role. I am writing this fic from the premise that it was Lily who came out of Voldemort's wand first during the Third Task. In the earlier editions of the book, like mine :), it was James who first makes his appearance but once this error was spotted was reprinted to correct this mistake, as of course, James was murdered before Lily. 

On another note this version of _Prior the Incanatem _is edited… finally :)! It is a year or so now since I first posted this fic but in scanning over it now and again there have always been moments of dodgy grammar and story telling that have made me cringe ever so slightly ;)! So, I hope that you ENJOY this new version :)

And, as with the original there _is _a plot here. The events that unfold do allow for canon so it is not strictly AU…

PRIOR THE INCANTATEM

By Templa Otmena

Chapter One- Shielding Harry

'When the connection is broken, we will linger for only moments…but we will give you time…you must get to the Portkey, it will return you to Hogwarts…do you understand Harry?'

'Yes,' Harry gasped; fighting now to keep a hold on his wand, which was slipping and sliding beneath his fingers

'Accio!' Harry yelled, pointing his wand at the Triwizard Cup.

It flew into the air, and soared towards him- Harry caught it by the handle-

He heard Voldemort's scream of fury at the same moment as he felt the jerk behind his navel that meant the Portkey had worked- it was speeding him away in a whirl of wind and colour, Cedric along with him…they were going back…

* * *

'I'll take Harry, Dumbledore, I'll take him-'

_'No, I would prefer-' _

'Dumbledore, Amos Diggory's running… he's coming over… don't you think you should tell him- before he sees-?'

'Harry, stay here-'

Girls were screaming, sobbing hysterically… the scene flickered oddly before Harry's eyes…

'It's all right, son, I've got you…come on…hospital wing…'

'Dumbledore said stay,' said Harry thickly, the pounding in his scar making him feel as though he was about to throw up; his vision was blurring worse than ever.

'You need to lie down…come on, now…'

Albus Dumbledore was not one to be easily swayed over a decision. Indeed, if one had the will to stand up against the old wizard and counter his opinion they would easily, albeit gently, be deterred and led to see that Dumbledore's opinion was the right one. With this in mind it was with uncharacteristic and painstaking reluctance that Hogwart's Headmaster turned from Harry. Even leaving him for a moment, even under the careful watch of Alastor Moody was proving too much for him. Choosing to ignore his nagging misgivings, Dumbledore closed his eyes for a mere second to collect himself and began his trek towards Amos Diggory who was sprinting towards the crowd clustered behind Dumbledore on the field, followed closely by his wife.

Despite his resolve Dumbledore allowed himself another look over his shoulder at Harry but found that he had vanished. Rather than succumbing to dumbfounded shock the Headmaster's weary countenance deepened into a scowl of cold fury. Without stopping Dumbledore turned on his heel in the direction of the castle, catching a brief glimpse of Harry being half pulled, half carried through an entrance. The situation did not need rationalising.

_'The real Moody would not have removed him from my sight…' _

He followed…

* * *

James gasped as he felt himself slam flat into the ground; his face was pressed into the grass; the smell of it filled his nostrils. He did not move. He could not move. All the breath seemed to have been knocked out of him; his head was swimming so badly he felt as though the ground beneath him was swaying like the deck of a ship. He lay there, for how long he did not know. To the wizard it felt as though he was underwater. Sounds came to him from afar and he was drowning in pain. Lying in limbo like this however did not suit James. He was a man of action and some deep and throbbing feeling within him knew that he was needed and that there was no time to be nursing his own hurts. 

With this recollection James attempted to rise rapidly from the ground. It was then that a torrent of sound deafened and confused him. There were voices everywhere, footsteps and screams. James blinked, trying to clear his foggy vision, vaguely he wondered if he had lost his glasses but no sooner had this though entered his mind had it flitted past him. He attempted to speak, opening and closing his jaw but his mouth was so dry and he could not form the words that he needed.

Despite his languid state James noted over the pounding of his head that the unbearable noise seemed to be coming from a good distance away. This both relieved and distressed the wizard. He _needed_ to get up and to get help, but for what he could not recall, the pain was just too much.

It was against his small yet fighting will that James Potter fell back to the ground, unconscious, the effort involved in trying to stand just too much…

* * *

'Diggory came back to life?' said Sirius sharply.

'No spell can reawaken the dead,' said Dumbledore heavily. 'All that would have happened is a kind of reverse echo. A shadow of the living Cedric would have emerged from the wand…am I correct, Harry?'

'He spoke to me,' Harry said. He was suddenly shaking again. 'The…the ghost Cedric, or whatever he was, spoke.'

'An echo,' said Dumbledore, 'which retained Cedric's appearance and character. I am guessing other such forms appeared…less recent victims of Voldemort's wand…'

'An old man,' Harry said, his throat still constricted. 'Bertha Jorkins. And…'

'Your parents?' said Dumbledore quietly.

'Yes,' said Harry.

Sirius' grip on Harry's shoulder was now so tight it was painful.

* * *

Time had passed, there was no denying it and James could feel it.

With his newfound consciousness the young wizard adopted a pained expression as he lay prostrate in pain on the hard and unrelenting earth. How cruel it was that he could so easily find consciousness but too late. As he lay there he pondered just how long it had been since he had blacked out, he remembered those fleeting moments well, the pain had slashed in to him as quickly and with the same devastating effect as lightening. And with the recollection of those moments that gut-wrenching sensation returned to the young man.

Something was not right. He was not meant to be here. He was needed.

Slowly, gingerly, James carefully attempted to rise again. Despite his return to consciousness the panicked man found himself still mired in unending darkness. As he stumbled to his feet a hand carelessly flung up to his face and found that he was indeed wearing his glasses. No matter in which direction he turned it was all black. There was no way to determine where he was or how much time had gone by, let alone what time it actually was.

It was when James closed his eyes against the impenetrable barrier of dark that it hit him. With the same chilly force as the invisible wind that crashed into his body, memory resurfaced. It slammed into him with such a force that he was nearly knocked to the ground again in his shock and despair…

Lily. Harry. Fidelius. Voldemort.

'No…' he moaned. He could not be here! He needed to get back…

Blindly did James stumble forward, not knowing in which direction or where he was going. All he knew was that the inaction was crushing him. He had to get back to Godric's Hollow. He had to get back to his family.

He managed to keep his balance as he surged forwards but after little over ten feet the young wizard stumbled over something that was decidedly solid and that made a decidedly human sound…

'Humph!'

As James regained himself he quickly reached for his wand but found that it was not there. Desperately did he look behind him towards the way that he had come but it was impossible to distinguish anything. Once again he stood but backed off a pace. He could hear ragged breathing from below him, as his companion became aware of his surroundings, just as he had. James took this as a sign that whoever was with him, be they friend or foe, were obviously at as much a disadvantage as he was. With this in mind James gulped down his trepidation and decided to approach the being.

'Who are you?' James asked sharply, his voice contrasting sharply with the rising panic and despair that had stolen his breath moments before.

'Wha…who…?' A croaky voice replied. There was fear there, of that James was certain as that voice turned in his direction. Not deterred in the slightest James did not relent.

'I'll ask you again. Who are you?'

The breathing amplified in accordance with the person's fear. Short rapid breaths were James' only answer for a few seconds until the voice spluttered. 'I…I'm Frank Bryce…who…?'

'What are you?' James interrupted. To his relief he found that he could now, just barely, make out the outline of who it was that he was talking to. He lay not three feet away and was looking up at him; he appeared to be a rather old man.

'Excuse me…?' Frank exclaimed, somewhat bewildered.

'Are you a Death Eater… friend or foe?'

'A _Death Eater_?!' James watched as Frank shook his head it what seemed to be bewilderment. 'Me…no…I'm a gardener…a _Death Eater_? What's…? Where am I?' he questioned, making to stand.

James sighed and offered the old man his hand. 'I don't know.' He took a moment to study Frank, as he called himself, only now wondering why it was that he could now see him, albeit vaguely, and his surroundings. It was obvious that he was no threat. All things considered, James thought, at best he was no threat, at worst, as he feared, Frank Bryce was a Muggle.

'How did I get here?' Frank persisted as he used James as support before pushing off him and standing on his own.

'I…I don't know.' James replied. With this better light James whipped his head from side to side and found that he and Frank seemed to be in a great field of sorts, in the middle of no where. His heart was hammering against the inside of his chest as he considered just what this might mean. Lily and Harry were in danger. Of this he was certain. His family, his entire life was in peril and here he was, possibly miles, leagues away and he could do nothing to defend them. James choked on a ragged sob that threatened to break free from his anguish that he was desperately trying to withhold. This was probably all some cruel torture of Voldemort's, he mused. To send him away where he would be absolutely useless and leave Lily and Harry. Helpless.

With that thought James blinked back his tears and his own useless, dark thoughts. There was no time for this now. He had to get back.

'That…that thing…' Frank gulped as James returned to awareness. 'Where is it?'

'Sorry…what?' James tersely asked.

Frank seemed to be looking around himself towards the ground, a look of genuine terror upon his old face. Finally, his search over Frank looked up to find James impatiently staring at him awaiting an answer. 'Sorry lad. Me? I'd call it a child, 'cept, I've never seen nothin' less like a child in all me life! Hairless 'n scaly lookin' it was…with gleamin' red eyes…' Frank then closed his eyes as he shuddered, wrapping his arms around his torso as though that would warm and protect him from the chilly memory that he had brought upon himself. His eyes snapped open and locked with James' however as he said, 'Come to think of it…that's the last thing I remember, before waking up here…'

James sighed impatiently and looked away, his mind racing. Truly, he did not have time for this but it was glaringly obvious that he was missing something here. Considering what Frank had just said James considered what it was that he last remembered before succumbing to dark and painful unconsciousness. That throbbing in his stomach increased as his worry and dread mounted. Voldemort. He had been dueling with him. James scrunched his eyes shut in recollection. That demon had burst through their door and James had remained, attempting to hold him off and hoping that Lily and Harry would escape.

And then as a flash. Voldemort. Wand raised. Darkness.

James snapped his eyes open and found Frank looking at him, wearing that same bewildered expression. Pushing his worries and recollections aside, for they would not help him now, James was reminded of an earlier concern of his.

'Are you a Muggle, sir?' James asked, attempting to keep his voice level and as pleasant as he could manage.

He watched as Frank's eyes widened in surprise and flashed in the with the same terror that he had displayed just prior. 'Oi! 'E called me that 'n all. Ranting on 'bout wizards.'

'He…the child?' James pondered, remembering the old man's earlier ramblings.

'Aye…but 'e were no child, like I said.'

James nodded; not sure what to make of what Frank was telling him. 'This child…' he began but he was interrupted by another groan. This one came from a couple of feet to his left. Despite themselves both James and Frank jumped, having thought themselves to be deserted and alone.

'Who's there?!' James demanded, his voice once again returning to that same clipped and fearless tone.

A female voice cleared a throat and groggily answered. '…Bertha Jorkins…' she coughed.

James brow furrowed in no little amount of surprise and confusion. He knew Bertha Jorkins, he had been at Hogwarts with her, and she had been a year or two above him. 'Bertha Jorkins?' he ventured, his voice small and intrigued. Finally he could focus on her a she gained her feet and brushed herself off.

'Yes,' she replied more cautiously, 'Who are you…?' She looked straight towards James and Frank.

Dumbfounded James answered. 'James Potter.'

'Frank…' He began, but was cut off by Bertha.

'James Potter!' she practically shrieked.

James' brow furrowed at her reaction, but before questions could be asked another groan interrupted them. The sound came from a little further behind James.

'Uhhhhrr…where am I?' A young male voice queried.

Brushing caution aside James walked towards the figure. 'We don't know.' He answered as he helped the person to stand and found, judging by his height and voice, that he could not have been older than sixteen. 'Who are you?' He asked.

'Cedric Diggory.' Replied the boy, rubbing his head. 'You?' Cedric looked hard at the person standing before him. 'Harry…?' He tentatively tried as he squinted up at the person before him.

'James Potter' James inclined his head and made to turn around. Providing no one else decided to abruptly and mysteriously appear from his past or at random, prostrate on the ground, he had to go.

'What? You can't be…' Cedric exclaimed. Bertha released a small, distressed squeal and as James looked at her he found that she was staring right back at him, fear in her eyes.

'I don't have time for this, I have to leave.' James said.

'But, son,' Frank said, 'We don't know where we are, how you gonna…'

'Apparate.' James answered. Why he had not thought of such a simple solution before he did not know. All he knew was that such a delay could be more than costly and that same cold grip of fear tightened its grip around his heart. Shaking his head and releasing a trembling breath James attempted to clear his mind. After a moment he said aloud _'Godric's Hollow'_. Nothing happened, nothing changed. James tentatively opened his eyes and found that he was still surrounded by the same strange congregation of people who were staring at him as though he was crazy. Undeterred James sighed in frustration and tried again, closing his eyes and concentrating so hard that he appeared as one in pain. _'Godric's Hollow'_ he repeated. Louder this time but again, nothing. 'Bertha, you try…' he finally ordered in exasperation.

'But…I…you're…'

'Just try.' James tried to sound patient and friendly but he just did not have time for any of this. The tone of his voice suggested an authority and a fierceness that demanded attention and that should not be ignored nor messed with. Bertha effectively silenced whatever protests she might have offered and shut up. After looking hard at James for one last time she closed her eyes and she too drew her brows together in an expression of practiced concentration. _'Godric's Hollow' _she pronounced. Nothing happened. _'Godric's Hollow' _she repeated. Again, nothing.

'It's not working… James.'

'What do you people think you're doing?' Frank asked. He looked at James and Bertha with an expression caught between concern and perhaps fear, eyes darting between the two.

James bitterly ran both hands through his hair as he angrily grunted, turning his back on the strange group of people who could not help him.

Lily and Harry. Lily and Harry. Lily and Harry. Lily and Harry.

As James opened his eyes and again contemplated his surroundings a cloud shifted ever so slowly to reveal the nearly full moon shining brilliantly behind it, offering itself as a beacon to those lost. James gasped at the change in the surroundings. Truly it was amazing; the cloud had to have been very dense as it covered the moon, which now flooded the mall group in a bright and luminous light. However, a tower, reaching out of the landscape and fruitlessly grasping for that untouchable light obstructed this perfect and almost otherworldly display. The North Tower. As it stood as a stubborn, silent sentential James almost sobbed his relief. The familiarity of it and the hope that it always conveyed was amplified at this time, in his moment of desperate need.

'We're at Hogwarts!' He exclaimed before he began jogging towards his salvation. He did not turn to see the other three in his excitement and desperation. Bertha and Cedric had come out of their trances that seemed to be aimed at staring at James' back. Brief expressions of hope had flickered across their confused faces at the young wizard's explosive announcement. Frank, however just stared blankly back at him and then at his retreating back…

'Hog…what?' he spluttered.

James did not seem to hear him and if he did he did not answer. 'Why we can't Apparate! Of course! Have to find Dumbledore…'

James was unknowingly leading the way as Frank, Bertha and Cedric hurriedly chased after him but they stopped as he did after only having traveled a few feet. A shaft of glittering moonlight had highlighted a shape. Another figure. Another person. The figure was that of a slim, unconscious woman. A woman that James would have known anywhere.

As he stood there shocked and unmoving alongside his three companions, the woman stirred, and so, finally, did James.

'Lily!' he breathed as he stumbled towards her.

To be continued…


	2. It Will Return You to Hogwarts

**Disclaimer- **The characters, plot and places of _Harry Potter _are the property of JK Rowling.

**Author's Note- **A very distinct difference with this edited version is primarily noticeable in this chapter. It is written almost entirely from Lily's perspective. The original jumped so frequently between all five characters that it was never really clear what was going on and the pace was all over the place! Whilst it was a bit of a challenge to write only from one point of view it really gave me a chance to flesh the character out a bit more, as I hope I did with James in the previous chapter… although there I have only just begun :.smirks.: As the fic progresses I'll focus in more on some Frank, Bertha and Cedric angst too so that I can address some of the gaping black holes in _'what needs to be said'_… ;) ENJOY!

PRIOR THE INCANTATEM

By Templa Otmena

Chapter Two- It Will Return You to Hogwarts

There was a world of swirling black and motion. And then there was nothing.

Somewhere deep inside a nagging torment born of fear and desperation tugged at the edges of consciousness that had not willingly been abandoned. The pain of these recollections grasped these moments of reprieve and demanded attention. There could truly be no rest in this state, not when the only solace received was dark and groundless agony. And with no decision having been made Lily Potter blearily woke and found that she had been called. She heard her name and although she could not identify who had spoken it, the voice was familiar and this comforted her as she closed her eyes again and inhaled a deep and refreshing draught of air. But that voice would not allow her to languish so. It spoke to her again. Hope. Relief. Fear.

'Lily! Lily! Open your eyes Lily!' A hitched breath. _'Lil. Wake…'_

A hitched breath. 

The voice was familiar and she cared for the speaker. Of that Lily was certain. To hear and listen to that voice quivering with anguish hurt her too, more than she could say.

Once again the young woman opened her eyes, slowly and cautiously. She found that it was nearly as dark in waking as it had been before but that did not deter her. She could see a shadowy figure hunched over her. She felt restraints upon her arms and looked down to see strong and familiar hands crushing her limbs as though wishing to impress their strength into her. Her brow furrowed in confusion as her eyes drifted lazily back up to that figure as they moved their hands and arms and hoisted her limp body upon their thighs.

'James…' she breathed. So much love and hope was conveyed in that one syllable, uttered in little more than a whisper. She scrambled up, pushing away from her protector and facing him and in the light of the moon that fell in lilting shafts upon them. Dream or no it _was_ James. Her beloved. Her lover. Her husband. Her friend. Tears streamed down his face, his depthless eyes glittering with untold measures of sorrow and joy. As she kneeled she moved towards him and embraced his face between her two pale and shaking hands as she wiped his tears away.

And as James stared right back Lily found that she could never have hoped for anything more. She remembered now and she knew that it had not been a dream and she choked on what her mind offered her. James, a parting smile, a desperate hope and then he was gone. She had fled at his bidding and then Voldemort had come and she knew then as she did now what that had meant. She threw herself at him then, crushing her trembling body against his own and she gave voice to her grief and relief. James had died, but he was here now and she was with him.

'Thank you,' she whispered. She felt James stiffen and pull back as he locked gazes with her. His heart was troubled and confused and his eyes widened as she breathed, 'You're alive…'

It was evident that James did not know what to say. His mouth opened and closed a few times before his lax expression crumpled with confusion. 'I… I don't…'

But before he could complete his bewildered utterance the icy tendrils of terror grasped Lily wholly and completely and they shook her. Her eyes shone with that fear and James reflected her same horrified expression from beneath his glasses. 'Harry!' She gasped. 'Where is he James? Where is he?!' The young witch looked around herself at the ground, as though hoping to find her precious boy huddled in his blanket mere feet away. But it was not to be. It was never that simple. Those hands grasped her arms again and Lily heeded their request and looked to James.

'I don't know Lily. He isn't here.'

Gone was James' bewilderment and shock. Lily could see it in his eyes. Panic was still there and worry. But deeper and stronger than that was an overwhelming shroud of defiance and strength. James was not so arrogant as to be confident in this dreadful moment but Lily basked in his quiet reassurances as she took a deep and calming breath and focused once again on her husband.

'What is the last thing that you remember Lily?' He quietly yet forcefully asked her.

And she told him. Voldemort had come and James had sacrificed himself for she and Harry, but in the end it had not been enough for the both of them. Voldemort had come before her and she had _begged _for Harry's life but neither had that been enough. And then Voldemort… wand raised…

James blankly stared at her as he absorbed all that she told him but he didn't speak. When Lily had finished he lowered his head and nodded. 'Me too.' Lily's eyes snapped up to meet his. 'The last thing that I remember is Voldemort, standing before me… wand raised…'

The heavy silence that followed this declaration was punctured by a voice from behind Lily. She whipped her head around to face the speaker as James' grip tightened reassuringly.

It was Frank. 'James… is it?!' Again James nodded. Frank coughed and looked decidedly uncomfortable with either his position or with what he was about to say, or both. 'I, er… well. That, that _thing_ that I told yer 'bout earlier… That _child_. It, it _looked _at me an', it weren't worth mentionin' before but what with all this talk of wizards' an' wands… It…' He took a steadying breath. 'It held a stick, pointed it at me… and that's it. Last thing I remember…'

'A wand.' James murmured. Frank looked even more uncomfortable with this confirmation. To Lily, who had only just noticed the small gathering of three who stood behind her, it seemed as though the old man was only volunteering this information as some form of a last resort. That he just wanted to be gone and that volunteering such facts, no matter how irrelevant or seemingly bizarre, might just help.

'Bertha? Cedric?' James implored as he made to stand, helping Lily along with him. 'How about you two?'

Lily studied these last two people properly for the first time. Bertha Jorkins she recognised, as James had from her time at Hogwarts but the boy, as with the old man, Lily could not place.

She caught Bertha's gaze as she silently studied these strange and random companions and the witch whimpered and turned away. Lily frowned at this but before she could comment Bertha began to speak.

'The… the last thing that I remember is… I saw…' She was confused, and distressed. But as with Frank before her it seemed as though Bertha recognised the wisdom in laying all of her cards on the table, as it were. As strange as it may all have seemed they were all in a strange position. 'I, I happened upon, it had to have been… He was Peter Pettigrew… whilst on holiday. He… I…' her brow furrowed in consternation. 'It's impossible… but that's all I have…' She finished weakly.

Both Lily and James stiffened at Bertha's revelation. As too did Bertha a moment afterwards, perhaps having realised the significance that that name might have held for the Potters'.

'Ced… Cedric' Bertha breathlessly said. 'What about you?'

Cedric stood with is mouth agape. His gazed slowly shifted from Bertha's imploring face, drifted over Frank and Lily and then settled on James. Here his eyes widened and he swallowed audibly, finally looking away and intently staring at the ground. Just as it seemed that he would not speak or that he had not heard the young wizard looked up once more, transfixed on James he said, 'I was with Harry. We'd grabbed the Triwizard Cup but we got transported… it was a Portkey. We weren't told. We were… we were in a graveyard and there was a man there, he… he raised his wand…'

A pronounced silence followed Cedric's declaration. Lily's fevered mind was quick to grasp the facts and her worry twisted into something deeper and darker that she did not yet have the will to face. All that she knew was that at least four people's last memories before bizarrely ending up here, '_wherever we are'_, were possibly fatal. At least this posed a connection and an explanation just might follow. Lily then looked back to Cedric as he began to speak again. That same wary and reluctant expression shone through as it had with Bertha and Frank. He did not want to speak the facts but he knew that he had to.

'Mrs… Mr Potter,' he drawled. 'The, um… the Harry,' he rubbed a hand along the back of his neck. 'The Harry that I spoke of. He's… he's Harry Potter. He's your son but he's… he's fourteen…'

Silence. Horrible unending silence. Nothing at all in this world could have prepared Lily for what Cedric had said. Her mind was stunned, her thoughts stilted.

'Wait.' James said. 'You're saying…'

'Hold on Cedric,' Bertha interrupted. 'You said that you grabbed the Triwizard Cup.' Cedric stiffly nodded. 'But… the tournament isn't until June.'

'It is June… you've been missing for some months. You never came back from your holiday. The ministry has been looking all over for you.'

'What year is it?!' James demanded.

As Cedric stated that it was 1994 Bertha and Frank insisted that it was 1993.

Lily looked to James, that terror increasing with every minute. To them it was 1981.

'What do you mean I've been missing…?'

'James… have we been sent to the future…?'

'_Where _are we?!'

A tirade of questions erupted at once following the confusion of all present, Lily was quick to voice her own mounting concerns but one look at James' face silenced her and as he began to speak Frank, Bertha and Cedric quietened to.

'Look… this, this _problem_ is far too big for us to contemplate alone. We've got to go and see Dumbledore… we're at Hogwarts Lily,' he muttered, having noted her hopeful yet despairing expression. Lily looked around her surroundings properly for the first time. Indeed, they were. 'I do not know what year we're in. It may not even be 1994 _or _1993.' Cedric, Bertha and Frank exchanged worried glances. Lily moved closer to James. She enclosed his right arm within both of hers and urged him to look at her. He did, and he spoke but this time it was more to her although all could hear. 'All I know is that our one-year-old son is alone and defenceless in 1981. We have to get back.' With that he began to walk towards the castle, Lily at his side. Frank followed and then Bertha and Cedric. The group was silent.

* * *

'Now I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher- the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a while, I will contact you there.'

'But-' said Harry.

He wanted Sirius to stay. He did not want to say goodbye again so quickly.

'You'll see me very soon, Harry.' said Sirius, turning to him. 'I promise you. But I must do what I can, you understand, don't you?'

'Yeah,' said Harry. 'Yeah…of course I do.'

Sirius grasped his hand briefly, nodded to Dumbledore, transformed again into the black dog, and ran the length of the room to the door, whose handle he turned with a paw. Then he was gone.

* * *

The possibility that something beyond time travel had occurred to them had not escaped Lily, and looking at James she knew that he too was intently evaluating their position and that he was coming to the same despairing conclusions as she had. The fact that their last memories saw them in definite life threatening situations narrowed the odds of what might have happened, but why were they here? And why in this time? These questions would not have answers until they could seek out Dumbledore, _this _Lily knew. And until this time Lily surrendered herself to her memories, as cold and malicious as they might have been.

James _had _died. The numbness had filled every part of her being and yet she had found it within herself to keep going. Harry had needed her and James had needed her to do this. It was death that was forefront in her mind, then and now. She did not want to die but as she cast her mind back Lily grasped a strange sense of elation with the notion of it. She did not want to leave Harry, even now every fiber of her being cried out for him, but she knew that through such a sacrifice her child would survive. Lily could not explain it but she hoped that this initiative still held true and that no harm would come to him. She had to believe this.

It was all just so confusing. Just as Lily yearned both in her memories and now to be with Harry, she desperately wanted James. She wanted to be with him and mingled with the elation and grief over her own possible death was the blind faith that she _would _be with James. These were the strange sensations that displayed themselves to the young witch as she tried to recall her last few moments of consciousness.

As she walked towards Hogwarts, the grass wet and brushing against her legs, she felt alive, this could not be some obscure incantation. As assuredly as her feet were planted firmly on the earth James' hand held hers. But were they in the future? A future where Harry was fourteen? Lily sighed in frustration, she was straying again. There could be no answers to these questions until they reached the Headmaster.

It took far too long for them to reach the great entranceway to the school but they did eventually. Lily sidled behind the great slabs of oak as James held them open for her, Bertha, Frank and Cedric. He closed them with a mighty thud that echoed throughout the silent hall.

'Dumbledore's office,' James whispered, reclaiming Lily's hand and once again leading the way.

* * *

The long corridor that led Sirius away from the hospital wing flew by in a whirl of shadowed shapes and colour. As the great black dog bounded by he knew that were he to look behind him or cease his rapid gait his will would crumble and he would return to his godson's side. He growled at this and forced himself to concede that there were no other possibilities, there were things that needed to be attended. He _had _to leave. There was truly no other place that Sirius would rather be at this moment than with Harry; helping him, supporting him…

'For the first _time in his life!' _He bitterly thought as he swiftly turned a corner.

But, behind his heated condemnations Sirius reminded himself that things needed to be done, to be set in motion. If not the ordeal that Harry had been through tonight would be meaningless, just as Lily and James' sacrifice would have been had their boy come to any harm.

'Grrwhoooooo…!'

Sirius releases a strangled whine, that of a dog in pain. How had this ever happened? Harry had so very nearly died this night. _The last Potter_, almost snatched away from him to be forever beyond his reach, just as they were…

_'Harry saw them tonight,'_ he thought. It was a notion that he had tried to expel from his mind as he had cared for Harry. He remembered that moment so vividly when Harry confirmed Dumbledore's suspicions…

A quiet question_, 'Your parents?' _

A stricken answer_, 'Yes…'_

The dog shuddered as he recklessly flew down another corridor. Something within him had begun to throb in pride, hurt and misery at that moment. Lily and James would always be there for Harry. In whatever way at the end of all things they would be there, eternally with him.

_'But what of me?'_

Sirius would always blame himself. Lily and James no longer drew breath because of his dreadful error, a tragedy that would forever taunt and mark him. And his only task, his only chance to redeem himself was something in which he considered himself having failed at for the past fourteen years…

Sirius was only broken from his dark mire as he reached the foot of the staircase that he had descended. He was now within the ancient hall that led to the main entrance to the castle. With the same determination as earlier he kept going, not allowing himself a moment to linger and regret. However, as the animagai reached the entrance hall, just short of the doors he stopped. The dog raised his hackles. A ghost of something inexplicable danced on the fringes of his senses, which he stretched out as far as they would go. His ears twitched rapidly this way and that and his sensitive nose hastily sniffed the air. His efforts led him straight towards the towering doors where a strange scent still lingered.

It was strange, like nothing he had ever experienced before. Sirius was sure that had he been in his human form he would not have been able to sense it. It was intoxicating and yet it did not seem to be there. It smelt so fresh…it was exhilarating, refreshing and tranquil. Supernatural. Nose to the ground the dog tracked the scent right to the doors. Here Sirius stopped dead in his tracks. There was a painful familiarity to the scent that lingered beneath its overwhelming pungency. His heart leapt. He was not sure if he did recognise it but at he same time a feeling of half joy, half terrible sadness consumed him.

'It cannot be real! It cannot be him!'

He sensed James. He perceived his scent. The amount of times that they had been beneath that cloak together, hidden from Filch together… transformed together…

_'Prongs…!' _

It was entirely beyond reason and sense. In the face of such a heart-wrenching discovery duty was forgotten. Whatever it was that had been here, he had to know. Once again, nose to the ground, Sirius picked up the strange trail, heading towards Dumbledore's office.

_To be continued… _


	3. He Knew, as Though He Had Expected it

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Disclaimer- she scoffs at the idea that she could ever write anything _like_ the Harry Potter books…JK Rowling did…(you think?!)

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A/N- Thanks for all of the reviews! They really are an inspiration and I _love _reading them!

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Chapter 3- 'He knew, as though he had expected it.'

The somber group had reached the stone gargoyle at least five minutes ago. James had immediately said the password that he had known out of habit- the amount of times that he had been there in the past few months!

'Humbug.'

Nothing happened. He kicked himself mentally- of course…a password is likely to be changed in the duration of thirteen years. He turned to face the others'-

'Anyone?'

Lily looked as dismayed as he felt- more time was being wasted. Frank- well, there was no real use in asking him in the first place. Bertha shook her head slowly. Cedric had hesitated, he had been in Dumbledore's office a few times on account of the Triwizard Tournament- but he didn't remember hearing or could not recall the password. He shook his head.

Since then they had randomly been reciting sweet names. Even Frank had joined in once James had explained a little.

'Lemon Sherbet…'

'Fruit Rock…'

'Pear Drop…'

'Rhubarb and Custard…'

Nothing happened. James looked frantically behind him, along the corridor. It could take forever to find someone at this time of night- more wasted time. Their best bet was to stay here and keep trying- perhaps someone would hear them…

'Chocolate Frog…' he said passively.

*

Sirius turned another corner, nose still to the ground. He knew in the back of his mind that what he was doing was ridiculous, that he was wasting time. But he didn't care- he had to know what it was that had left this scent. He didn't even know if he believed that it was James and Lily. All he knew was that he wanted to know what it was.

He rounded another corner. He had now left the side corridor that he had been travelling down and was now back on one of the main ones. He looked up. There was a portrait of a friar, snoozing in a tavern; for once he was not drinking. He recognised where he was immediately. A little further down this corridor was Dumbledore's office- the amount of times that he and James had been sent or summoned there!

Sirius allowed himself a faint smile; a thousand memories that had for so long been locked up in Azkaban away from him flashed before his eyes. The reminiscing was interrupted though by that scent. It was much stronger, the source was not far…and now there was a sound…murmurs. Something was down there, making noises, down near Dumbledore's office. That was where the scent led.

He trotted down the corridor- not quickly, he was still unsure but he was not afraid. Whatever was down there had something to do with James and Lily, the scent was so strong now, he was not mistaken.

The corridor was so dark. There were no windows. The murmuring was getting louder…were people talking? Perhaps somebody had already found whatever it was, but he wasn't listening. He would risk taking a look, whoever was there. He just wanted to see what it was. 

He was there, within ten feet of the gargoyle and…

But nothing could have prepared him for what he found there.

*

'This is hopeless!' Lily exclaimed. She felt as though she was on the verge of tears only she was too distressed to cry. 'James…we're wasting time.'

'I know.' James had had enough. He was ready at this point to rip out the gargoyle from where it stood…stairs and all and climb the rest of the way up. 'Looking for someone will take too long…'

'Perhaps some of us could go and look for someone, the rest of us keep trying here…' Cedric suggested.

'I don't know…' James said 'we don't know why and possibly _when _we are, I don't think we should risk splitting up.'

'We've got to try something else…' Lily muttered, 'We've been standing here for ten minutes…Harry…Harry could be…' It happened, she started to cry.

'I know…I know Lil…' James was immediately with her, embracing her, her body was racked with sobs.

'He's all alone…Voldemort's there…and…' she looked up into James' face but something over his shoulder caught her eye. James noticed this and he whirled around, as did the others'.

'What is it Lily?'

'Something's in the shadows over there…'

For the second time that night James reached for his wand, only to find that it wasn't there, he cursed. Instead he squinted into the darkness, he edged forward. An outline, a very familiar outline was standing a few feet away in the shadows where Lily had indicated. When he saw what he thought he was seeing the expression on James' face changed very quickly and dramatically.

'Sirius?!' The statement seemed to be a question but the hope and surprise were evident in James' voice.

*

Sirius, upon seeing James and Lily had felt as though he was having a heart attack. It was beating so fast- but he wasn't. He was just standing there gaping at them as they embraced. His mind was blank. The many times that he had dreamt and fantasised about reunions like this…

He had always run up to them, they had hugged and laughed forever. 

Or he had bombarded them with questions, heavily chastised James for playing such a cruel joke but found himself having to laugh because of his trademark innocent look that he had learned so well from Remus, and because of his relief and his joy.

But this was actually happening. He can't have slipped into a dream, the scent, the voices- they were so real. That was all that went through his mind. He couldn't move and he couldn't think, he was barely breathing. What he was seeing was impossible, but it felt so real.

He was brought out of his trance when he realised that James and Lily had broken apart. They were both staring- or searching for him.

'Sirius?!' he heard James say.

'That voice, I haven't heard it in thirteen years!'

James and Lily both walked closer. Sirius couldn't move. When they reached him James looked down. Sirius was standing in the shadow of a particularly large suit of armour, casting an even darker shadow over him than what the rest of the corridor was filled with.

James knelt in front of him. 'Sirius…that is you…' James said, more calmly this time. He had detected that his friend was in some form of distress, or else he would have transformed- or at least let himself be seen. Lily joined her husband and knelt beside him, looking intently at Sirius.

'Sirius?'

Finally his legs unlocked and his mind unseized and he stumbled forwards, right into his friends lap.

'Hey! I knew it was you…!' James laughed as he stroked Sirius' head. Lily sighed in relief and was smiling happily.

Without thinking Sirius leapt onto James' chest, pushing him backwards. He simply pinned him to the ground, staring at his face; his excitement caused him to paw at his chest. 

'It's you! It's really you! Oh Merlin! James! Lily!'

As James was laughing and trying to get up Sirius leapt towards Lily and pinned her down too. She also laughed.

'Yes, Sirius!' she said, although somewhat muffled due to the giant fury face that was so close to hers. 'It's us…now, get off!' she giggled.

He got off her and looked up at James who was now standing and helping Lily up. Sirius was happily and madly jumping around on the spot.

'It's them! They're here! They're alive…'

But then he remembered the scent and the observations that he had made earlier. Being so close to them made that feeling all the more stronger. _'It smelt neither of life nor death, it just existed…but it did not belong here.' _His euphoria died down. He silently and sadly looked up at them once more. They were solid, they could talk, they were breathing…hell, it was them! And yet something didn't seem right.

James could tell that something was wrong. He voiced his most troubling concern.

'Sirius, why don't you transform?'

Sirius simply stared at him. 'What I wouldn't give to be able to embrace you now! To hold you both! To talk to you…to explain.' 

True, the corridor was dark and the school fairly deserted, but he just couldn't risk it, especially after tonight. 'Oh Merlin! Harry!…what is going on?'

'Sirius?' James was still waiting for an answer.

All that he could do was stare up at him, into his eyes, behind those glasses. The last time he had seen that face…no! It looked nothing like that now. It was now full of life…not pale and terrified…and yet it did look anxious, and concerned.

Something was definitely wrong. The discomfort that James had felt at first was now bordering on sheer panic.

'Look- Sirius. Something is wrong…we, we think that we're in the future…1994?' He questioned.

Sirius nodded.

'Harry,' Lily said, her voice shaking, 'we…he's still in '81…he's alone and defenceless…James, we have to get back, we have to find Dumbledore _now_!'

Sirius blanched. 'No!' he thought, 'they can't mean…not…not _that _night.' He whined.

James was very obviously scared now. His voice was shaking.

'We…we woke up in the grounds…Sirius,' he motioned towards Bertha, Cedric and Frank. They had remained silent, either out of confusion in Frank's case or anxiety in Cedric and Bertha's…how many Sirius' could the Potters' know? It was the first time that Sirius had noticed them. 'We don't know how long we were there for, or how we got there…but we can remember what we were last doing…'

Sirius was only half listening. He was concentrating on the others'. Bertha Jorkins…he recognised her from Hogwarts, she was dead, as was Cedric Diggory…he had seen his face plastered all over the _Daily Prophet _for months, he died tonight, and an old man…and Lily and James. 

Sirius' head snapped back to them with realisation.- 'Voldemort…Priori Incantatem…but…how?…why?…'

He walked forwards over to James and grabbed the sleeve of his robes between his teeth and tugged at it. He then looked up into his face and turned away. James knew what he meant. There was only one person who could make any sense of this. Sirius was taking them to Dumbledore.

*

'Mmmm my Lord…what…what hhhhappened toni-night?'

A long silence followed. Voldemort and his Death Eaters were still in the graveyard. 

The Death Eaters, without orders had assembled in their circle again, the gaps were once more present where missing people should have stood. Voldemort was in the centre of the circle, standing where he had stood when he had last seen Harry Potter disapear with the Portkey, his eyes were burning into that very spot.

'Why don't you tell me Wormtail.' He said slowly and in a deadly, icy whisper, looking directly at the smallest of the group who quailed under his gaze. 'Why don't you tell me how that boy managed – to – escape – _twelve_ – _DEATH EATERS_!' He shrieked. Everybody in the circle flinched.

Another silence ensued, more deadly than the first. It was Lucius Malfoy who dared to break it. 

'The wands, my Lord…what happened?'

Slowly Voldemort's head turned towards him. 'Priori Incantatem.' He simply replied in that same icy tone. 

He then returned his gaze again to the spot where Harry had disappeared.

Thanks again for the reviews…

Stinky Stan- …and he nearly did have a heart attack! Thanks Julia!

Chocolate Taco

lilduck

Jewels5- It will make sense…I promise (cough cough cough…!)

tv-fan-06

Dutch Lily Flower

Justin11

Aconite- Glad you're hooked!

The Morrigan Three- Thank you! And it _will _make sense…I promise (cough cough cough…!) must have a cold or something!

Titanic-HarryPotter-lvr-2

Kyoko- Glad you liked the 'scent' thing…it seemed fitting considering what I have in mind as to what happens to James, Lily, Cedric, Bertha and Frank in regards to the conclusions that Sirius came to about the scent in this chapter and the previous one.

elvengoddess

nopenotme- not _as _bad a cliffhanger…right? I know that it seems to be taking them _forever _to get _anywhere _but it just seems to happen as I write it…and Hogwarts is quite a large place…right…?

Rainy Day Parade- A chapter with James, Lily and Harry will be coming up soon but I'm still in two minds about _how _they are together…a tough decision will have to be made by James and Lily, and by Cedric with regards to _his _parents. And that tough decision will have to be made by me first. I'll decide soon enough…I'm hoping that it will write itself and I won't have to!

Mystic Catface- Thank you!…and you did get an _A_!

Glamenessence 

__

Thanks again everybody…so, so very _much for all of the reviews!_

Now…a proper _Sirius, James, Lily reunion will ensue in the next chapter. _

As he was in the form of Padfoot, Sirius could not physically or audibly convey all of the emotions that he felt at the return of his best friends in whatever form they _are in._

I hope that it is coming along OK…and not dragging along! I'm trying to set the scene and examine as many peoples' feelings of confusion as I can…without going on forever…

Questions will be answered soon enough…promise!

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Next Chapter

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Dumbledore is brought into the equation…what will his reaction be?

…a certain Mr Moony is called for (Yey!)…needless to say what his _reaction will be!_

And that feeling that James and Lily have been having that something is not altogether right is made all that more stronger…

Not even going to apologise anymore, I will just continue to hang my head in shame…

…explanations…they are coming…they will be here…shortly…

Again with the thank yous for all of the reviews…and please do so again!

Love and appreciate each and every one!


	4. There Was No Time to Turn And Look

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Disclaimer- Never could and never _should _write the Harry Potter books…as JK Rowling did…

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A/N- I was having a few technical difficulties the other night with this fic but all seems to be all right now! The beginning of a new term is upon us *pouts and stamps foot* NOT FAIR!…The only thing that _could _drag me away from my computer and the beloved FanFiction. With that in mind I would prefer to get this story finished sooner rather than later so expect updates to be within a couple of days of each other. Thanks for the reviews!

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Chapter 4- 'There was no time to turn and look' 

Sirius wanted to run back to the hospital wing as fast as he could, but he couldn't. He led by only a few feet and would constantly fall back to walk by James' side, to make sure that they were still there, that they hadn't disappeared.

Sirius couldn't understand what was happening here. These five people had come out of Voldemort's wand this evening. They had helped Harry survive.

'Even in death…' he thought as he looked up at James and Lily.

And yet Dumbledore had said that it had not been them, that it had been an _'echo'_ of them.

But they _were _here and they were solid…by all rights they _were _alive but something was amiss…

He quickened his already fast pace and continued to lead in silence.

*

Dumbledore was back in the hospital wing. He had left the Diggorys' some time ago. They were absolutely broken and all they had wanted right now was each other. Before returning to his office he had decided to return here, to look over Harry once more. 

He stood at the foot of his bed. Mrs Weasley had nodded off in the chair beside Harry's bed. Her chin was propped up on her chest as she breathed steadily. Ron and Hermione had fallen asleep on beds nearby. Dumbledore's gaze fell on the bed at the end of the row where Alastor Moody slept. His thoughts lingered with him for a while before returning to Harry. He sighed…

'What this boy has been through…' he thought. Harry looked so peaceful. His breathing was even and he didn't stir. He was sleeping a dreamless sleep, nothing more would trouble him tonight '…and yet there is so much that he does not know…and even more that lies before him.' Dumbledore frowned. '…he will know, he will have to know soon enough.'

Satisfied that all was as well as it could be Dumbledore turned on his heel and made for the door. He slid silently through it and closed it gently. As he did this a noise behind him caused him to turn abruptly. 

It was Sirius bounding towards him down the corridor.

*

Upon seeing Dumbledore exit the hospital wing Sirius had broken away from the group and run full pelt towards him. Dumbledore had turned around quickly and was obviously surprised to see him.

'Sirius…what…' he began, but stopped.

His look of surprise soon turned to shock as he saw who came running up behind Sirius. Sirius sat at Dumbledore's feet and they could do nothing but stare at the group who stared back. No one spoke for a good few moments. Lily then made to speak but Dumbledore raised a hand to silence her.

'To my office…' he breathed and stepped forwards, leading the way back.

*

Dumbledore walked at such a pace that would not have been expected of a man of his age. He walked so fast that he was at least fifteen feet ahead of James, Lily, Bertha, Cedric, Frank and Sirius who now remained at Lily's side. He reached the stone gargoyle before them, muttered the password and practically flew up the stairs and entered his office. From here he crossed the room in an instant, scooped up some floo powder from the bowl on his desk and hastily threw it into the fire. He knelt on the cushion on the hearth and placed his head in the green flames.

'Residence of Mr Remus J. Lupin.' He said clearly, although somewhat shakily.

After a brief spinning sensation Dumbledore was looking into the cosy sitting room of Remus Lupin. Remus himself was stoking the fire at that very moment. He stopped abruptly but did not appear to be in the least bit shocked by having Albus Dumbledore's head appear in his fireplace. He merely withdrew the fire stoker and placed it in its stand before speaking.

'Albus. What is wrong?' he asked slowly and clearly apprehensively.

Dumbledore didn't hesitate, although his voice also conveyed apprehension. 'Remus, we have a few old friends present with us here tonight…'

*

James was practically jogging in the wake of Dumbledore.

He couldn't shake off the feeling that he was some naughty student who was being led by a professor to his inevitable and harsh punishment.

'I should remember that feeling well enough!' he thought.

The amount of times that McGonagall had relinquished control and had led he and Sirius to Dumbledore's office…but it had never before been Dumbledore who had led them. He had always been sitting behind his desk, as if he had been waiting for them. As they had entered James could always have sworn that his face had lit up and the retelling of their escapades by McGonagall seemed only to entertain him.

This was all very different, so much darker. The very atmosphere that had surrounded Dumbledore since he had laid eyes on them had suggested forebodance. James couldn't shake of his feelings of dread. His thoughts from earlier that evening returned to haunt him. 

**__**

When were they? - **Were **they even…alive? - **Where** was Harry? 

He quickened his pace in exasperation as _that _thought entered his mind. He was retracing his footsteps- _again!_

'Damn it! How much time have we wasted?' he thought desperately.

He looked up to see that Dumbledore had already entered his office. A second later James was at the bottom of the stairs and then climbing followed by Lily and then Sirius, then Bertha and then Frank followed by Cedric who had been helping the old man.

James burst into Dumbledore's office without knocking. He looked around expectantly, quickly scanning the room and was able to locate Dumbledore before his fireplace.

'…we have a few old friends present with us here tonight…'

'Albus?' James quietly said.

Dumbledore turned to face him and the group that was now congregated behind him. Without so much as a word he turned back into the fireplace to see Remus, his eyes were wide and staring.

'Albus…' he said in barely more than a whisper.

'You recognise that voice?'

'Yes!' Remus gasped. 'What? How…?'

'I will explain when you are here…'

'I'll come right now' he answered hastily.

Dumbledore withdrew his head from the fire and stood, turning fully to face the group. After casting a brief charm to relieve himself of the soot that he had collected upon his face and in his hair and beard he calmly spoke to them. All looked bewildered; the change in him was exceptional.

'James, Lily…Cedric, Bertha…' he turned to Frank 'I'm sorry sir, I do not believe that we have had the pleasure of meeting…'

'My names Frank Bryce.' Frank replied, breathlessly. The sight of Dumbledore seemed to leave him at a loss for words.

'…Frank…' he was interrupted by the entrance of Remus Lupin behind him via the fireplace who had landed on the floor. 'Cedric…I wonder if you wouldn't mind closing the door behind you?'

'Of course sir' he replied.

Remus had picked himself up and was brushing himself off. He didn't seem to want to look up. Sirius crossed over to Dumbledore, looked up at him and whined. Dumbledore understood.

'Now…Bertha- Cedric…' he turned to them, they both looked up at him expectantly. 'This dog here is an Animagi. He is a man by the name of Sirius Black.' Sirius turned to look at them. Their faces seemed to have been drained of all colour. James and Lily watched the scene unfold with confusion. Dumbledore continued. 'Sirius Black is an innocent man and void of _all _accusations. He is going to transform. I hope that you can trust my word and accept this.' He had said all of this very slowly and after waiting for a reaction seemed content with their somewhat jerky nods. 'Sirius…' he implored.

Sirius crossed the room and stood beside Remus who had followed his movement with his eyes, before transforming. At this Bertha let out a tiny shriek and hid her mouth behind her hands, Frank stumbled and was caught by Cedric who was having some trouble standing himself.

'_Void of all accusations?' _he thought. Cedric didn't know if he believed this…no, he did. Dumbledore had given them his word…but, being in a room with Sirius Black…

James and Lily had been staring at Remus and Sirius the whole time, who were staring right back. 

They had aged so much! Remus not so much…but Sirius…he looked…_terrible! _A strange feeling seemed to settle in the pit of their stomachs, as if confirming something.

'They're looking at us as if they haven't seen us in years,' Lily thought- 'what's happened to them?'

Sirius and Remus were hungrily gazing at their friends. The friends that they had not been able to look upon for thirteen years. It made their hearts ache, looking at them, barely older than teenagers…only twenty-one…so much life ahead of them…wasted. They looked the same as they had remembered them.

Dumbledore stood to the side of the two sets of people. He was gazing between them animatedly. Cedric and Bertha were staring at Sirius with extreme unease…whatever Dumbledore said. Frank was leaning against a table to steady himself…his look seemed beyond confusion; all of the events that he had encountered tonight seemed to be pushing him towards indifference.

'Sirius…Rem…' James gasped, but he was abruptly cut off.

Sirius had crossed the distance between them in a stride and had pulled his friend into a massive bear hug. Remus had followed him and had swept Lily up in an embrace. Both Lily and James were taken by surprise but warmly welcomed the union. 

They hadn't seen Sirius and Remus in just over a week, since the Fidelius Charm had been performed, but it seemed to have been for so much longer…and these weren't the Sirius and Remus that they had left. They had grown older…aged before their time and they carried great burdens.

It became apparent to James that Sirius must be crying as his body was trembling and sobs seemed to be racking it. He chanced a look over at Lily who returned his gaze. Remus was also crying onto her shoulder. The reaction of their friends made Lily and James hug them all the more tighter.

When the time came for them to part the four friends looked at each other. It was at this point that Remus grabbed James as a new wave of emotion overcame him as it did Sirius whom fiercely hugged Lily who felt as though her bones might break.

*

The graveyard was deserted now- except for one person. He sat on the edge of a tomb. His feet were dangling a foot from the ground. He was very agitated and his shoulders would often twitch.

Voldemort had Disapparated about half an hour ago. He had given his orders. He had taken Avery, Crabbe and Goyle with him, for what purpose the man did not know, for _he_ always seemed to be left in the dark. He had ordered Malfoy to make his way to Hogwarts, not right now. In a few days…discreetly check on Severus Snape whilst making a _visit _to his son. He had told MacNair to get back to the Ministry…to monitor what was going on there. 

He did not seem to fear that word would have got out as to who his Death Eaters were or of his rise, but he did not discuss the reasons behind this, especially not with _him._

Oh- and Wormtail. Voldemort had ordered him to go back up to his father's house and check to see if he had left anything that might prove _useful_ to others if it were to be found. Wormtail had asked 'What?' and he had been awarded a brief dose of the Cruciatus Curse for his insolence. And then they had all left. And now Wormtail sat on the edge of a tomb alone.

He didn't want to turn around and treck towards the house. But he would have to soon otherwise his master would wonder where he had been…he would punish him if he was much longer. However, turning around would mean walking past the spot where…where they had appeared.

Peter buried his face in his hands, one was cold to the touch and he squirmed at the feel of it. It didn't help. The darkness only seemed to sharpen the images that he could see even with his eyes open. 

Enough! He hopped off the tomb and tuned around; he purposely avoided looking at _that _spot…but he had to walk through it to get to the house. When he got there, where his master had stood earlier, surrounded by light…and _them_ he stopped. He began to shake and it took all of the strength that he could muster to stay on his feet.

He could feel tears welling up in his eyes. James and Lily…Harry…Bertha…that boy, the old man…his hand! It was not the fact that he had been responsible for so many deaths, that he had betrayed a man that counted him a friend, that he had condemned him, his wife and almost his son to death. It was James himself.

They had all prowled around his master. And then, as James got close to Wormtail he had just looked at him. He hadn't said _anything_. That look…it was so full of disappointment and hurt. It didn't carry a trace of anger in it. It had made his stomach turn over and he felt as though his legs might give way, as they were doing now…

He fell to the ground and crouched over; he began to cry pitiful sobs as he held himself, alone, in the graveyard.

__

Never tire of this so I will repeat myself as many times as I need to!

Thank you thank you thank you for the reviews!

Stinky Stan- …no, it would not do to have Sirius having a heart attack now would it? Perhaps JK Rowling should reconsider…no, won't get started on _that _again! Lol! Hope that there were enough reactions in this chapter, even that of _that _rat (perh!)…I did enjoy writing the Sirius, Remus, James and Lily bit though…(sniff)… 

Arien Eledhwen- Thanks! I'll be adding more chapters more frequently due to the unfortunate but inevitable return to college…(sighs)…

jennadancer

Nitte iz- dramatic huh?…hehehe!

LJKalways- Thank you! I hope that there _are_ no holes but I'm slightly (understatement!) anxious about the upcoming chapter where everything gets explained…(gulp)!

starborn

Glamenessence- Glad that you're hooked! I'm glad that you agree with some of the aspects of the story…_relief!_ I hope that there will continue to be no holes…the explanation chapter is coming up though…gulp!…

Aconite

Shinning Crystal- *speechless*…don't know what to say! I think that this chapter was _slightly _longer…the next one is longer still, I just hope that you guys can make some sense of it! Thank you! 

Titanic-HarryPotter-lvr-2- Hey! Thanks for reviewing 'A Marauder By Any Other Name' as well!…much appreciated!

Mystic Catface 

The Morrigan Three

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Sirius, Remus, James and Lily in a room together! I love reading fics centred on MPP/L and I can only hope that this one is OK…is it…?

The end of this fic is not intended to be a 'feel sorry for Wormtail' _section. It is intended to show where his choices have led him. I put it at the end as it is in such strong contrast to the reunion between Sirius, Remus, James and Lily who were consumed by happiness and friendship…although all is not well…_

Wormtail on the other hand is alone and scared (serves him right!) and I thought that it might be interesting to examine the effect that seeing James and Lily might have had on him.

Remember…NOT a feel sorry for Wormtail section…OK!? 

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Next Chapter

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This is it…next chapter ALL questions should be answered! Finally!

…but not the end…yet…

Thanks again for all of the reviews and for reading this far!


	5. The Reverse Spell Effect

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Disclaimer- I tried to be original. I tried to be funny. I tried to be unique. But I came up with nothing. So all that remains to be said is that JK Rowling wrote the Harry Potter books upon which this fic is based. And the fact that I failed to come up with an entertaining disclaimer does not bode well for me as a writer…sniff…

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A/N- …_or as the case may be _do not _expect updates to be within days of each other as my computer 'remembers Biblical times' as someone so kindly said!- totally crashed…but all is now well…for now! _OK…this is IT! This is the _'explanation chapter'_. Now I've read and reread it quite a few times and it seems to make sense to me…but I wrote it…! When I began this fic I had an outline of _what _happened in my mind and this is the product of it. I just hope that it seems as rational as it can be…*nervous laugh*…so, er…huh hmmm…ENJOY!

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Chapter 5- 'The Reverse Spell Effect'

An uncomfortable silence had descended upon Dumbledore's office and it's occupants.

'…So,' James raised his head and looked up at Dumbledore, '…we're dead…then.'

Dumbledore observed him for a moment and then slowly nodded. His eyes deceived his exterior, which appeared calm, but he was clearly troubled.

Bertha made to shriek again or protest but there seemed to be no point. 

Dumbledore, assisted by Sirius and Remus had run through a brief history of what had happened ever since the night of Halloween 1981. When they had got to Bertha, Dumbledore had tried to calmly tell her things that she did not even know had happened, like being captured by Peter Pettigrew- being interrogated- _her_- interrogated by _You-Know-Who _and finally being _murdered _by him! It was ridiculous! James and Lily Potter- yes…but she…how could she be dead? _Her_- Bertha Jorkins…what was so special about her? …_'Information' _Dumbledore had told her…_'The Triwizard Tournament'_- but how many thousands of witches and wizards knew about that at the Ministry? Sure…she _remembered_ meeting Peter…but he was dead…_'No, he's alive…'_ they had told her…but…Sirius Bla…what were the chances?

She looked around her exasperatedly. Lily and James had returned their gazes to the floor; they were holding hands. Frank did not appear to be hearing anymore- perhaps he had convinced himself that this was a nightmare. His expression was strangely mingled with horror and intrigue. Cedric was silent, his expression closed as he gazed into the abyss.

'Kill the spare,' he thought 'Kill the spare…'

He returned his gaze to Dumbledore who looked straight at him which was very intimidating, he almost faltered.

'…a-and I died…' everyone else looked at him '…a few _hours _ago?'

Again Dumbledore solemnly nodded.

'Then why are we here?' Lily quietly asked. She was seated between James and Bertha before Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore was behind it as were Remus and Sirius who stood on either side of his chair. To James' left sat Cedric and Frank.

'Priori Incantatem.' Dumbledore simply said. 

'The reverse spell effect.' James clarified.

Dumbledore nodded. 'We have told you what happened tonight…what Harry saw.' 

Lily and James both squirmed at the memory of what they had been told. Their boy…their one year old son that they had last seen mere hours ago was now fourteen…everything- the ordeal that he had been through tonight, _everything _that he had been through. What _Sirius _had been through- and was still going through. _Remus_…alone. And Peter. It was overwhelming…unbelievable!

Dumbledore slowly continued '…when a wand meets its brother a rare effect will take place…as what happened tonight, when the five of you enabled Harry to escape.' They had already established that they had no memory of this. 'It would appear that whilst Priori Incantatem is rare enough an even more extraordinary effect occurred tonight as a result _of_ the Priori Incantatem.' He waited a few moments for his words to sink in before continuing. 'Remus here, knows more about the topic than I do…' Dumbledore looked up at Remus who reluctantly returned his gaze. 

It was true that he had researched the topic thoroughly, even to the point where his knowledge excelled that of Albus Dumbledore. But the conclusions…they were based on guess work.

'Well…' he looked around him. His heart was breaking. For a brief instant, before he had been told anything he had believed that James and Lily had come back to them, by some freak chance. Sirius he could tell had hoped rather than believed as he had that this was the case. He could tell that the truth of it was making Sirius feel exactly as he did. They were losing them again. Except this time they had to agonisingly wait for them to leave, if his theories were correct. '…It would appear…' all eyes were on him '…that as Harry has told Albus he saw the _'echoes'_ of you…of you when you were alive.' He drew his breath sharply. 'Well, the longer that the echoes are released from the wand that held them the more form they will take…' confused glances '…the more _physical _they will become…as you all are now.' His eyes fell on Lily and James, they looked so alive.

'But why are we here?' Lily adamantly repeated.

'It would appear…' Remus continued 'that due to Harry being the victor in the duel a connection was established between his wand and your echoes, canceling out the one that existed between you and Voldemort's wand.' Cedric and Bertha openly shuddered. 'And given the fact that you were willingly _helping _Harry that connection was made all the more stronger. 

'Now, remember that I said that the longer that you were released from Voldemort's wand, the more _physical _you would become…' James, Lily, Cedric and Bertha all nodded. Frank was staring to the side at nothing in particular. '…Well, the connection between you and Harry's wand now still exists. So when Harry used the Portkey to escape the graveyard his wand went with him, as did you.' Remus paused, as Dumbledore had previously to give a chance for his words to sink in. 

'But…we're, we're…still…_dead_?' Cedric gulped.

Remus did not want to answer this; he turned to Dumbledore who was already facing the people sitting before him. Remus chanced a look at Sirius who returned it, looking at his friend sympathetically. They then turned their attention to Lily and James who were intent upon Dumbledore's answer.

'Yes.' Dumbledore finally answered heavily. 

Everyone had been holding their breath, although no one released it at this statement the disappointment and fear in the room was evident to all. 

'No spell can reawaken the dead.' Dumbledore clarified for the second time that night. He paused for a moment, wondering how to continue. 'Although you now sit before me physically as Bertha Jorkins, Lily Potter, James Potter, Cedric Diggory and Frank Bryce.' He turned to each of them as he said their name. When Dumbledore said Frank's name he sharply turned his head to meet Dumbledore's gaze. 'The part of you that left your body as you were killed exists elsewhere. Although now you sit before me with your form, character and personalities intact _you _exist elsewhere…'

'…Where?' Bertha gasped. 

Dumbledore turned to her and smiled both warmly and sadly. 'That I cannot tell you, as I do not know.'

'Then what 'appens to us now?' Frank suddenly asked. Everyone except for Dumbledore had jumped. Dumbledore looked at Remus.

Remus nodded and reluctantly continued. 'The _echo _is a reflection of you…it is a _part _of you. It has your character, it has your personality and it has your memories. So _it_…so _you_ will ultimately find your way back to the source of _your_ being…that was driven from your bodies…that exists elsewhere, as Albus has said…

Silence.

'Why is it that we _can't _remember dying then…if we have our memories?' Cedric warily asked.

This time Dumbledore spoke much to Remus' relief 

'Your last memories are those of Voldemort or of Peter Pettigrew,' he looked at Cedric. Sirius very obviously flinched at the latter name. 'Standing before you with a wand raised.' Nobody nodded; this was another point that they had gone over several times. 'So whilst the echoes of you that Harry saw knew that they had died, the more physical that you have become the more alive you seem…physically and mentally. So any concept to you of having died was lost on you as you considered yourselves to _be_ alive.'

Lily and James looked at each other. Dumbledore slowly smiled and affectionately added 'Except you two…' they looked at him.

'Dying…it's been on our minds a lot lately.' James hurriedly admitted. 

Sirius shifted his feet and it was Remus' turn to sympathetically glance at him.

The room was silent. People were obviously trying to process what they had been told, either that or trying to figure it out.

'But…Moony…' Sirius startled everyone.

'They _will _go back Padfoot…even if we had a choice, they have to be whole…wherever they are.' Remus breathed in deeply and looked at James and Lily who returned his gaze 'It will happen anyway…without _any _interference from us.' His eyes were overly bright.

'How will we go back?' Again it was Frank who spoke and startled everybody, except for Dumbledore who smiled at the man. Remus knew that it would be him again who spoke. It was so awful knowing the answers…or in this case _not _knowingand having to tell the people so.

'I don't know…perhaps you will go _back _into Harry's wand or…' a few grimaces flew across faces '…or…I really don't know…guesswork…' he mumbled as he looked at his feet.

There was another silence except this one was a lot denser than the others had been. It seemed as though James, Lily, Cedric, Bertha and Frank were contemplating either the fact that they were dead, not only that but that this was not _them_, not in their entirety anyway. Even Frank could not rationalise what was happening. The only other alternative to him was that this was a nightmare, but it was so real and his memory was not one to play tricks on him. 

Cedric- he…he was only sixteen. But even Dumbledore had told him. And he remembered…the cup…the graveyard…_that man_… 'Kill the Spare'…and then nothing. 

And Bertha. Dumbledore had told her that You-Know-Who had broken through a Memory Charm that Mr Crouch had put on her…she did remember some things…Mr Crouch's son…yes…_he _was _supposed_ to be in _Azkaban_! And then Dumbledore had told her that You-Know-Who had…destroyed her…and that he had _killed_ her. It didn't make any sense. But some things just seemed to fit.

James and Lily. They held each other's hands beneath the arms of their chairs. They could constantly feel the gaze of Remus and Sirius, and sometimes Dumbledore washing over them…frequently stopping on them. It was very uncomfortable…but they hadn't seen them in _thirteen _years…Harry had never known them. These were their biggest griefs…not that they were dead. 

It especially pained James to know that Sirius blamed himself, not just after all these years but in the first place. It was not and had _never_ been his fault. When Sirius had had to relive the events for them he had not been able to hold it back and had broken down apologising. James and Lily had assured him that it was not his fault, that they did not blame him…that no one had known about Peter and that they were glad that Harry finally knew him and that Remus now knew the truth and that they were so sorry about Azkaban. This obviously hurt him more…that _they_ were sorry for _him_. When this passed through James' mind he looked up and found that Sirius was already looking at him. This made both of them smile.

'I'll take him aside later…' James thought '…knock some sense into him.' 

His smile became a grin. He then turned to Remus who smiled back, and then to Lily. 

They were not afraid. They were after all already dead. They just wanted everything to be all right…everything was such a terrible mess. They squeezed each other's hands reassuringly. James then turned back to Dumbledore; his eyes flickered up to Remus…not sure whom to ask.

Despite the resolve in his mind his voice was shaking. 'How much time do we have?' He asked.

Remus answered; in contrast it was now his voice that was steady. 'Not long…I expect that you will…be gone before sun rise.' He again looked at Sirius; he looked as though he was about to collapse either to the ground or in tears. Before he could Lily had left her chair and was hugging him with all of the strength that she could muster. 

James and Remus smiled at the scene. 

It was not like Sirius Black to break down in tears, and usually despite how much they enjoyed the scene privately, if not James it would always have been Lily who would mockingly ridicule him about showing emotion of that sort…especially towards his godson. Remus would then, in turn mockingly act as mediator.

'What's this Padfoot? Going soft in your old age?' James asked in a falsely shocked voice.

Remus immediately caught on 'Now, now Prongs. A _real _man is always in touch with his feminine side…isn't that right Lily?' he replied in a _very _patronising tone. 

Sirius and Lily broke apart smiling as were James and Remus. Lily kept a reassuring arm around Sirius' waist as he held on to her shoulder before they were once more enveloped with their own thoughts.

Dumbledore continued to sit in his chair. His elbows were settled on his desk as his hands were before his face. He tapped his long fingers together thoughtfully as he stared at nothing in particular.

Bertha seemed overcome with horror, her face was very pale and her mouth slightly open. She did not seem to appreciate anything that was going on around her. She looked as though she was about to cry but no tears came.

Cedric had watched James and Lily intently with awe. He wondered whether or not they were as scared as he was. He decided that they probably were, as their smiles seemed more fixed when a moment ago they had been so natural. He wasn't going to show how scared he was if they weren't so he sat somewhat rigidly in his chair and was now staring at the floor.

Frank was staring at a table on his left away from the others' in the room. There were several silver instruments on it silently whirling around, instruments that he had never laid eyes upon before. The shape of some of them seemed so ridiculous that he was sure that they did not exist. But they did. They were here as was he. That meant that he was dead. This could not be a dream, a nightmare…it was too real. That meant that he was dead. 

When the realisation of this hit him he looked up at Dumbledore again who broke out of his thoughts to return his gaze. Frank smiled somewhat crookedly at him and Dumbledore warmly returned it. He then inhaled very shakily before asking-

'So…' everybody turned to look at him. 'What should we do now?'

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Silence…

Um…you still there? Did that make any _sense at all? I hope that it was plausible enough…but I'm not all that sure!…criticism, flames…whatever!…I'd like to know…! *there goes that nervous laugh again*…!_

I thought that it might be nice to finish with Frank being the most sober of the group. Nice piece of irony that he is the one that is way, way_ out of his depth and yet it is the fact that he _is_ there that pushes him to come to terms with his fate and to move on._

Right…the story is not over…

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Next Chapter

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Lily, James and Cedric have some very _difficult decisions to make with regards to the people that they will be leaving behind._

Several heart-to-hearts…(sniff)…as people come to terms with what will happen to them and decide how best to spend their precious time.

Thanks for the reviews people! Love them!

*Any questions as to what in the hell I am going on about in this chapter just ask…it may help me to understand it more too…huh hmmm…I DO know my own fic…what are you suggesting?*

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As schools and colleges are starting up again *scowls at the screen* if anybody would like me to email them with updates I'd be more than happy to…just ask as you review…

Stinky Stan- hehehe!…No…we'd best NOT get started!…they have support groups for that kind of thing…I hear…Thank you!

Crystal, Lily, James and Sirius

tv-fan-06- remember…you be updating too! 

Lisa Meunier- Thank you very much!

Headmaster Cromwell

azntgr01

Katrina Littlebird- Thanks for the review! I had never planned on bringing James, Lily, Cedric, Bertha and Frank back to life…as much as I had wanted to…(sniff)…as I just could not pull it off and it wouldn't be right. I was _very _happy after reading your review…and relieved that you think I will be doing the right thing! Thanks!

kaiyana- Next chapter sees Harry in it…but a difficult decision is before Lily and James…and Cedric…so who knows what's going to happen (not me yet!)…*that nervous laugh again*…

Aconite- Harry…James and Lily will see him in the next chapter. Thanks for the reviews!

Mystic Catface- Thank you! I'm glad that Dumbledore came across OK…I was really anxious about getting that right. Nice time looking at bugs in ponds…? Hmmm?

The Elfin Child- Thank you…and thank you! I'm glad that you like it!

starborn- I'm glad that no feeling sorry…_ness _was felt…evil, stupid rat! 

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	6. We Will Give You Time

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Disclaimer- Looks from her books to the computer screen and then down to the keyboard… _'PAH!' _she types… _'like I could ever write anything like that…'_ she looks back at the books and then back at the screen. She scowls and then looks down at the keyboard… _'JK Rowling did…' _she types. 

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A/N- This chapter has been the _hardest _chapter to write. I thought- _'Yey! Explanation chapter _out of the way! _It's just plain sailing from here!' Woohoo!' _But NO! This one was so much more difficult, that's why it has taken me longer to post. Oh! And also I noticed that no one seemed to have had any problems with said 'Explanation chapter'…*looks around suspiciously* are you all just being polite or did it really make a _bit _of sense? Hehehe! OK…there is one slight difference with what I promised for this chapter. I could not put 'something' in _this _chapter but it will be in the _next _chapter…I'll explain more at the end…

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Chapter 6- 'We Will Give You Time.'

Frank looked up at Dumbledore again who broke out of his thoughts to return his gaze. Frank smiled somewhat crookedly at him and Dumbledore warmly returned it. He then inhaled very shakily before asking-

'So…' everybody turned to look at him. 'What should we do now?'

*

To say that the silences that had proceeded had been uncomfortable would be an understatement when judging the one that now followed Frank's question. Everyone was painfully aware of the presence of everybody in the room. After what seemed like an eternity Lily made to move. She squeezed Sirius' waist reassuringly before leaving his side. Everybody apart from James followed her movements as she crossed the room and sat beside him. She took his right hand in hers and stared at him, forcing him to meet her eyes. Both seemed to be crying unshed tears. The prospect and the opportunity of what could happen was just so overwhelming to them. Without saying a word Lily fell back into her chair, facing Remus, Sirius and Dumbledore, although her eyes were on the floor. She still kept a hold of James' hand. 

The silence continued. It was torture. So many things were flying around so many minds and yet no one could speak of them. The truth of what had happened, and what could happen seemed to be incomprehensible. And to Sirius so did the opportunity…

'Harry!…' he blurted out. James and Lily slowly raised their heads to look at him. Sirius felt as though he might quail beneath their gaze but he continued, '…he, he's here…_' 'Of course they know he's here!'_ he thought. _'Aside from _everything _else they are here tonight _because_ of him!' _ Sirius was sure that he wasn't making things any easier, but he had to try. He tried to smile at them. Time was precious.

James once again cleared his throat and switched his gaze to Dumbledore who was already looking at him. 

'Albus…' James noticed that his expression was sad and tired. He felt that it was very disheartening to see him like this.

Dumbledore nodded. 'You want to see him?'

James and Lily did not consult each other. They nodded in unison.

Dumbledore inclined his head and rose from his chair. Remus and Sirius stepped back. 

'We must go now…' 

Everybody else rose. Dumbledore crossed the room and made his way towards the door. Cedric made a swift movement to follow him. Frank and then Bertha who was walking in not much more than a trance then followed him. It did not seem to be a question as to whether or not everyone should go. They were all in this together and no matter how badly they were taking the news they seemed to feel a reassurance in each other's company.

Remus, Sirius, Lily and James followed Bertha. They hung back slightly, wanting to talk.

*

Dumbledore had crossed the room and was at the door. Cedric made a swift movement to follow him. It was as if Dumbledore had expected it as when he had reached the door he turned around and held it open, gesturing to Cedric to join him by his side.

Together they led the way down the staircase and past the stone gargoyle through the entrance. The pace was a lot slower than it had been the last time that they had trekked this way. It was almost leisurely. 

Cedric looked over his shoulder. Frank had only just passed the gargoyle. They were far enough ahead. He could talk to Dumbledore now. Cedric turned his head sharply to his left, intending to look up at Dumbledore and get this over with. But instead he looked past him and through a window. It was no longer pitch black outside. The sky was now graying. It was getting lighter. Dawn was approaching.

'Cedric?' Dumbledore implored.

Cedric was brought out of his thoughts and his eyes snapped back to Dumbledore's face.

'Yes sir?'

Dumbledore did not answer. He simply blinked and half-heartedly smiled. Cedric remembered.

'Oh! Um! Yes…I…' he had not thought of what he might say. 'I…_tonight_…my parents. Are they still…well, I mean…'

'Your Mother and your Father are here Cedric.' 

Despite himself Cedric blanched. He cast his eyes downwards. He would not cry. Dumbledore spoke.

'Do you want to see them Cedric?' he asked quietly and slowly.

Cedric wanted to speak but he seemed to have lost the ability to do so. His mouth was dry and his mind was racing.

'I'm dead!' he thought. 'I'm dead and I'm only sixteen. But…I'm _here_. I look _alive_…Mum and Dad are here…'

Dumbledore and Cedric passed through a shaft of moonlight, barely still there. As they did so Cedric looked up and out of another window.

'…But not for long.' He reminded himself. His thoughts drifted to James and Lily, of how they would see Harry and of how he must not show that he was afraid. He thought of his parents. How _they _must be feeling! Their only child…dead. He saw a short man, a wand, _'Kill the spare!'_ He shuddered.

'Cedric…' Dumbledore said. It was not a sign of impatience, his tone conveyed concern.

'Yes sir?' Cedric muttered distantly. His mind was still with his thoughts.

'Do you want to see your parents Cedric?'

'Mum would cry…' he thought. 'Dad too probably. I could say goodbye, _properly_…but…I'll leave them. I'd _have _to say goodbye. They'd have to watch me leave, watch me die, watch me…get sucked back into Harry's wand.' Cedric gulped. Did he want to put them through that? Did _he _want to go through that? He looked behind him again. Lily, James, Sirius and Remus were just out of sight. Frank and Bertha were a little way behind him. Frank was limping but had his arm around Bertha. She was crying.

Cedric sharply breathed in and snapped his head back forwards. He was not ready yet to face the fact that he was no longer alive head on. He kept telling himself that this was the case but he knew that it hadn't sunk in. Witnessing another person grieve like that over the same fact was too much for him. He was afraid that he might break down. He released his breath in a shaky sigh. He looked up at Dumbledore. Cedric's eyes were overly bright, he noticed that Dumbledore no longer smiled. The effort was no longer there. 

'No.' He quietly stated through gritted teeth. It was taking a lot of strength to prevent the release of the surge of grief that was threatening to overcome him.

Dumbledore nodded simply once. They continued to lead the way through the passages towards the hospital wing. As they did so Dumbledore placed a firm hand on Cedric's left shoulder, perhaps as much for his comfort as for Cedric's.

*

Frank had followed Cedric as he had swiftly made after Dumbledore. He looked down the staircase after the receding forms of the boy and the old wizard before descending them himself.

Frank sighed. Where were they going? He knew that they were going to go and see the boy _Harry_. He had heard a lot about him tonight. He was Lily and James' son. Frank was able to recollect other facts…_The Boy Who Lived_. Words like _basilisk _and _Flamel _would pop into Frank's mind. He did not know what they meant. He had heard them whilst they had been in the wizard's office, but he had not listened for he had been too busy with his own thoughts. But, he…_Harry _was the reason that _they _were here tonight. He had _helped_ Harry, Frank remembered…_pri…pri…catem?_

Again Frank sighed. He turned another corner and found himself before a window. He could not help but admire his surroundings, even given the circumstances. 

'The castle…the grounds…! They're amazing!' He thought.

Out of the window he looked at the grounds. He was sure that it had been the area where they had walked down earlier. It was definitely a lot lighter now though. 

Not too long ago he had been unable to see anything…and now…

'We'll be gone soon…' He remembered somewhat indifferently. 

Frank continued to plod along after Dumbledore and Cedric. He found himself thinking of his mother of all things. He smiled inwardly.

'What would she think of all this? Eh?' he thought. 'Wizards n' wands n' magic…!' He chuckled to himself. Perhaps he would see her soon, seeing as he was dead. This caused him to smile contentedly. He faltered, however, as he heard a tiny muffled sob from behind him. 

He turned around as quickly as he could to see Bertha breaking down in tears. He glanced further behind her to see that James, Lily, Remus and Sirius were a fair distance behind. They were talking and sometimes laughing animatedly. It would be he who comforted her.

Frank held back and waited until Bertha caught up with him.

*

Bertha had not noticed this. She had been so consumed with her own thoughts. 

Everyone else seemed to be taking the news that they were _dead_ so well. She was torn between still not believing and either thinking that she was having a dream or that everyone else was crazy. But then there was the other alternative. And that was that she _was _dead.

Everything around her seemed so real. She _was_ at Hogwarts. She hadn't been here since she had left some years ago and the place was exactly the same. As she raised her head through her sobs to look up at her surroundings she bumped into a figure before her. It was Frank.

Frank looked down at Bertha. Despite the fact that he didn't know her, his eyes were so full of concern. It was clear to him that Bertha still hadn't accepted that she was no longer alive and that the idea of that terrified her. It did him, but he was old…death was scary but real to him. She was still young.

'Lily and James are even younger!' he thought. His eyes flickered up to them. They were approaching he and Bertha. 'And the boy…so young…' Frank closed his eyes and bowed his head. When he looked up again he reached out his arm and wrapped it around Bertha' shoulders. 

This caused her chest to heave as she again began to cry. 

'He's so calm! Oh Merlin!' she thought, 'This is real…! All of this is really happening!'

Frank urged her forwards, making her follow in Dumbledore's wake. 

She quickly looked up to see the shapes of her old headmaster and Cedric Diggory. The fact that she could now see them quailed her. She turned her gaze to a window that she and Frank were now approaching. It was getting a lot lighter. She continued to cry. If all of this was true…then, they were nearly gone. 

*

Everybody rose. Dumbledore was already at the door and he was swiftly followed by Cedric and then Frank and then Bertha. Remus, Sirius, James and Lily had caught each other's eyes and had silently agreed to lengthen the gap between them and the others. They wanted to talk whilst they still could.

They smiled uncomfortably at each other. Nobody knew what to say but they all knew how scarce and precious their time was. They didn't have time to feel uncomfortable. 

James looked towards the door and found that Bertha must have already descended. He cocked his head in the direction of the staircase-

'We'd better get a move on…' he looked pointedly at Lily. 

A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Despite the circumstances she was really, very eager to see her son, her little boy. Sirius gazed between the two of them and then clapped James on his back.

'Yeah! Come on Prongs…Prongs Junior is waiting for you!'

As the four of them began to walk towards the door Lily scoffed, 'Prongs Junior…whatever is _that _supposed to mean? He can't be as bad as you all were!'

James, Sirius and Remus all smiled broadly. Remus chuckled. 'No, no, no Lily. Harry…unfortunately, the poor kid, has inherited the exact looks of his father.' James clapped him round the back of the head and tried to look extremely affronted but couldn't help laughing.

'He really looks like me?' he eagerly asked.

'Yup.' Sirius confirmed. '_Exactly!_ It's uncanny!'

'Except for the eyes of course.' Remus corrected.

'He still has my eyes?' Lily asked.

'Yes, he does…that look can be just as unnerving from him as it was from you…'

Remus' use of the past tense seemed to quell everybody's laughter. Remus and Sirius could not help but feel what a torture this was. They had Lily and James back with them. They could reach out and touch them. They were by their sides where they hadn't been in thirteen years. But they would be leaving. They had been given something that they truly wanted more than anything else but that they could not keep. But they were grateful even now for the gift, never mind in the years to come.

Lily and James were facing the same feelings. They were dead. They knew this. What they were 'living' through now was surely a last glimpse of 'life'. They were able to say goodbye to their dear friends properly, to set things right and to see their son. This was something to be eternally grateful for, even considering the circumstances in which it came about. But it was a torture veiled as a gift. For they would have to leave and there could be no good-byes for those that they loved most.

Sirius cleared his throat. "He er…he plays Quidditch, you know…'

James' face lit up and Lily playfully rolled her eyes and laughed to herself.

'He does?' James exclaimed 'What position? How longs he been on the team?'

'He plays Seeker and he has done since first year.' Remus said, he enjoyed the mingled look of pride and shock playing across both of James and Lily's faces now. He chuckled.

'Plays as well as his Father…' Sirius interjected.

'And he's won Gryffindor many a game.' Remus finished.

'So, he's in Gryffindor then.' James mumbled. He was so proud of Harry from the very little that he had heard about him. But it was the fact that he knew _so_ little about him that was so heartbreaking.

Remus and Sirius exchanged awkward glances.

'Yes, yes he is.' Remus quickly confirmed.

'Was he nervous at his sorting?' Lily asked. It was after the question however that she realised what she had asked. Remus and Sirius hadn't been there. Sirius had been locked up in Azkaban and subjected to the horrors there and Remus had not been able to care for Harry and had had trouble coping himself. 'Oh, I'm…sorry…' she hurriedly finished.

Again Remus and Sirius looked awkwardly at each other but their glances now carried traces of guilt. They hadn't been there for Harry. The one thing that they could have _really _done to ease the loss of his parents and to pay their lasting respects to Lily and James they had not been able to do. It didn't matter what the circumstances had been or what obstacles stood or had been put in their way. At that moment both Sirius and Remus fully felt how much they had let Lily, James and Harry down.

'Don't you two be feeling guilty.' James said. His voice was loud and snapped Remus and Sirius rapidly out of their thoughts.

'James…Lily, we…' Sirius began.

'Don't.' Lily said. 'So much has happened and it was out of the hands of all of us…especially you two.' She gazed fondly at them as she walked.

"No!' Remus exclaimed. 'We've failed the three of you. If only…'

'And don't be doing that.' Said James. 'If you start that now you will never stop!' He smiled at his two friends. 'If only Salazar had never had an heir…it won't help. There is no point and _no need_' James looked hard at Sirius as he said these last two words. Sirius fully turned his head to meet James' eyes, 'to dwell on such things. There never was and there especially won't be after tonight. Harry has you both now which is all that matters.'

'You can tell him what an arrogant little berk his father was.' Lily said. James feigned shock. He grinned at Lily and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

'_And_ you can fill him in on the full and dramatic story of how his perfect mother _fell_ hopelessly and completely for his arrogant berk of a father!'

Lily glared at him. '_And _be sure to always remind him that it was James Potter who succeeded in the banning of first years from bringing their _broomsticks_ to Hogwarts!'

This was clearly a sore point. Sirius, through his laughter managed to say,' Oh Lily that's below the belt!'

'Besides,' James replied 'they were _always _looking for an excuse to enforce that one. It could have just as easily have happened to anyone else…right Moony?'

'Yup. Sure Prongs!' Remus chuckled.

James laughed. 'Yeah, well. Just…tell him things, won't you? Tell him, tell him that his Mum and Dad quite liked each other.'

Lily beamed at him, tears in her eyes.

'We will.' Sirius replied his voice steady and solemn. He stopped in his tracks as he spoke, causing Lily, Remus and James to halt. 

'All the time' Remus reassured, turning his gaze to Lily and James. 

'Thank you.' They said together.

They all smiled at each other and then began to walk again. As they did so they looked up and realised that they had reached the hospital wing. The door was bathed in a shaft of waxy moonlight that also highlighted the figures of Dumbledore, Cedric, Bertha and Frank who had his arm around Bertha; they were waiting for them. 

The corridor was so much more lighter than they had remembered it. It was a harsh reminder of how little time they had left.

'Sorry Albus…' Lily remarked as she, James, Remus and Sirius drew level with the others.

'Not a problem.' He replied. He smiled at the four of them, taken back for a second to when they used to grace the corridors of Hogwarts. So much had irreversibly changed since then.

An expectant silence ensued. 

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A/N- _Now, no seeingness of Harry was in this chapter. I got to writing it and I found that there was too much to say for the other characters and that it would be too long if I put the 'Hospital Wing' bit in now. BUT I do have it all planned out so it will be up within a short matter of time…promise! The problem is that with the having-to-go-back-to-schoolness-not-tomorrow-but-the-next-day I will have less time to write but it will be posted. I suspect that the next chapter, depending on its length will either be the last or the second to last._

Thanks for all of the reviews! They really are such an inspiration! And thanks for continuing to read!

Stinky Stan- Yup…it is quite funny in quite an inappropriate kinda way! I figured that I might as well get straight into the explanation and what better way to…introduce, the topic…Huh hmmm…!

Bessyboo- I know what you mean about getting into a Fanfic…I never thought that I would be one of the ones to leave a mean cliffie…it's wasn't _that _bad…was it? Thank you! I enjoy writing the reactions of Cedric, Bertha and Frank…perhaps you could tell by this chapter! You can write more about their observations whereas when using Lily and James or Remus and Sirius…too many emotions…sniff…!

Alriadne

tv-fan-06

The Elfin Child- No problem! It's great!…you've got to write more…want to read more!

Mystic Catface- Thanks for r/ring 'Godric's Hollow'. It is not actually connected to this fic, although it could be what happened on the night that Lily and James were murdered. It's just short and separate and really just examines some of James' thoughts and feelings.

Aconite- Thanks again for all of your reviews!

Chocolate Taco- No problem! Hope that you had a nice holiday!

Lisa Meunier- Thank you!

Nitte iz- You're too nice for your own good! But thank you anyway!

Faye

Glamenessence

madabouterangelharrypotter

WhiteRose101

Authoress

Katrina Littlebird- I'm glad that you liked the Lily and Sirius scene…I liked writing it! Yeah…there are a lot of _back to life _stories out there. I've read an excellent one called _'Prongs Rides Again' _by BrieflyDel. It's fantastic! Beautifully written and NO plotholes…I'd highly recommend it!

Titanic-HarryPotter-lvr-2

starborn- Nope! Good, good, goodnot feeling sorry for Wormtail that is!

Dutch Lily Flower- Thank you for reviewing 'Godric's Hollow'.

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Next Chapter

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Well, really what I promised for this chapter! Sorry about that again!

Beefy feedback muchus like-es-ness! Huh hmmm!

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	7. He Wants to See You

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Disclaimer- OK…it's two in the morning…it's too early to be creative with the disclaimer! Basically JK Rowling wrote the Harry Potter books upon which this fic is based…ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz…

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A/N- Thanks all for bearing with me! This is the second to last chapter, it will be followed by an Epilogue as soon as I can get it written and posted. Nothing else to say except ENJOY! And to eternally thank everybody for all of their reviews! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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Chapter 7- 'He Wants To See You'

Dumbledore turned his head away from the group and back towards the door that he had been giving a lot of thought to before Lily, James, Sirius and Remus had caught up with them. Concealed behind it were a sleeping Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Molly Weasley and Alastor Moody. He quietly sighed and turned back to the others. All faces were turned upwards towards him expectantly. This again caused Dumbledore to smile. It really was as if they were back at Hogwarts some twenty or so years ago.

'I am going to go in and ensure that all is clear for you to enter.' He said.

They all jerkily nodded as he slipped behind the door, again finding himself in the hospital wing. 

It was just as he had left it. Alastor still slept soundly, as did Harry. Hermione and Ron were fast asleep in the beds that they had occupied nearby. And Molly kept her vigil beside Harry's bed, her chin resting on her chest as she dozed. 

Dumbledore surveyed the sleeping forms. Harry and Moody were in deep slumber on account of the potion that Madam Pomphrey had administered to them. However Ron, Hermione and Molly could wake very easily and he would prefer to use a sleeping charm rather than a memory charm on them. 

He slowly raised his wand and directed it at the figures of Ron, Hermione and Mrs Weasley as he whispered the incantation. The three of them abruptly breathed in as the charm hit them but immediately settled down afterwards and back into their steady pattern of breathing. As an after thought Dumbledore quickly and quietly made his way to Poppy's chamber. She too was fast asleep but he knew that she would soon awake to check on her patients. He performed the same spell on her that had the same desired effect. 

Satisfied that they would not be interrupted Dumbledore made his way back to the door of the hospital wing and opened it. As he did so the corridor containing the seven people filled with the light from the room behind him. It was nearly dawn. 

They all looked up at him and he smiled reassuringly. He motioned for them to make their way past him and into the hospital wing. Cedric looked to Lily and then James to enter first; they were eyeing each other almost warily. They didn't seem to notice the gesture and so after a moment Cedric made his way in first and was followed by Bertha and Frank. 

Dumbledore looked pointedly at Sirius who stood behind James. Sirius understood. He gulped heavily and placed a shaking hand on his friend's shoulder. James was startled by the touch and jumped rather easily. 

'Come on…' Sirius breathed.

He pushed him gently by the shoulder in the direction of Dumbledore and the open door. He also placed a hand on Lily's right shoulder and guided her as she and James held hands. Remus followed. 

As Remus passed him Dumbledore quickly closed the door and quietly performed a locking and silencing charm on it. No one would be able to enter and intrude or hear what was exchanged from within. 

*

James' shoulder tensed beneath the death-grip of Sirius' hand. Sirius was evidently as anxious if not as nervous as he was. James could not decide whether this was wholly a bad thing. At least he was not the only one who was in one way or another apprehensive about this. 

He would be seeing his son. His boy. It was so hard for him to comprehend the fact that Harry was now _fourteen years old_ when a couple of hours ago he had been his chubby-little-bundle-in-a-blanket. Sirius' 'pet' name for him- this week. The memories seemed to ease James slightly and he turned his concentration to Lily, expressing his presence by squeezing her hand even tighter than she was squeezing his.

They were in the hospital wing now. Exactly as he remembered it. The countless times that he had been here on account of Quidditch injuries- _entirely _worth the pain. Or a hex from Snape- he'd get him back later. Or a veiled Moony scar- _never_ a question of the pain. He could never have imagined at any of those times that he would be visiting his son in the hospital wing after such an event in _his _life and for such a purpose. 

And there he was. James' breath caught in his throat and he stopped dead. Lily had had the same reaction as they both just stood their, stock still, gazing at the sleeping form of their only child. Their little boy. 

Harry was by all accounts sleeping peacefully. His chest rose and fell without a tremour. The potion was doing its work well; no nightmares bothered him this night. He was however sweating but that was probably on account of the summer heat. It plastered his hair to his forehead and what remained was haphazardly sticking up at the back. As he lay there asleep he looked _exactly _like James. 

Lily released a choked laugh at the sight of this. She continued to gaze dreamily at him. He was so beautiful, so innocent. Only a child. Her little boy. Lily rubbed her right arm up and down her left, suddenly feeling cold. James stirred from his trance and looked towards her. As Sirius' grips on them suddenly slackened they slowly made their way, jerky steps at a time, towards Harry's bed.

And there they stood, side by side, looking down on him. Both silently shed tears. All that they had missed and would continue to miss hit them so clearly now that they saw him. All of the times that they had never been there and could never be there hurt them deeply. But he was here, he was sleeping and he was alive. And that was all that had ever mattered.

They continued to gaze down at him. Every breath that he took was intoxicating. 

Lily quietly whispered in James' ear, smiling through her tears- 'He looks _exactly _like you.'

James smiled, not taking his eyes off Harry. 'Yeah. He really does.'

The same thin face, same mouth, same eyebrows. His eyes washed down his son's arms and to his hands. They could have been his hands. They continued to drift down to his feet. He at fourteen would have stood within an inch of Harry, he could tell. James' gaze made its way back up to Harry's face, and to his hair that stuck up at the back exactly as his did.

James quietly laughed as Lily had. He reached out a trembling hand and began to caress his son's fringe.

'I can not apologise enough!' He slowly whispered. 

Lily knew what he meant and chuckled happily.

'He has your nose though.' James added.

'Yes…and my eyes!'

'Aaah! But he inherited his Father's terrible eyesight and has to hide them behind those glasses.' He looked at Harry's bedside table. 'My glasses.' For they were the very same shape and identical to the ones that he would have worn at Harry's age.

'Adds to the effect…looking exactly like you!'

'Huh!' James managed to release a strangled laugh.

He continued to stroke his son's hair. Lily left his side and made her way to the opposite side of the bed next to Molly Weasley who still slept in her chair. Lily was now facing James. They held each other in their gazes for a moment before returning their attention to Harry. 

Lily too extended her hand and touched her son's face. So soft. She stroked his cheek with the back of her right hand and then cupped it within her palm. James was still fondly moving his thin fingers through Harry's hair. It happened that he brushed a section of his fringe off his forehead revealing the scar that lay above his right eyebrow. Both Lily and James' eyes widened and Lily moved her hand from his cheek to the scar and gently traced the pattern of it.

'Oh James…' she whispered.

James did not answer or look up. His head was bowed; his left hand still placed in his son's mop of hair. He carefully lifted it and slowly moved it down towards Harry's forehead where it settled lightly on top of Lily's. He released a very shaky sigh that held a lot of suppressed rage and anger, which grieved in a moment for everything that his son had been through in his short life. He once more raised his hand from where it lay and drew it up to his lips where he balled it into a fist. He closed his eyes heavily and tried to control his breathing which was becoming very heavy.

Lily looked on in anguish. James looked so helpless and it was a terrible thing to witness. She couldn't bear it and so looked back down at her son. His eyelashes were fluttering.

She quickly withdrew her hand from Harry's forehead, the action bringing James to curiously glance at Lily and then down at his son. He drew his breath sharply.

Harry was clearly groggy as his eyes were rolling around behind their lids, his eyelashes continued to flutter and he soundlessly mouthed words. 

Lily looked behind James' shoulder towards Dumbledore, Remus and Sirius for help. He shouldn't be waking; he'd been through so much tonight. They were congregated by the door. Dumbledore was talking in slow, hushed tones with Frank, Remus and Sirius, upon being caught staring seemed to adamantly avoid Lily's gaze in the same way that Bertha and Cedric had done earlier.

She looked back at James who was transfixed on the waking Harry. His head turned from side to side ever so slightly and as it turned to his left his eyelids slowly lifted where to Lily were revealed eyes that were undeniably hers. As they settled upon her face they widened before lapsing again. He couldn't stay awake.

Lily reached out her hand once more to Harry's cheek and resumed stoking it comfortingly. Harry mumbled something incoherent and turned his head slightly to his right so that he was facing the ceiling. 

Lily looked up at James who was watching them both in awe. His eyes glittered in the light that was poring into the room. Once more he placed his hand on Harry's head and gently released a soothing tone, meant for his son but that also succeeded in calming himself and Lily.

'Ssssshhhhh…Harry…Ssssshhhhh…'

Lily smiled and blinked back her tears. 

'Go back to sleep, Harry.' James continued softly. 'Everything's going to be all right' He whispered.

Harry released a non-committal sound. For one last time he flexed his eyelids, by all rights fighting the slumber that was overcoming him. He appeared to take in all around him before drifting away.

Lily was openly crying now, as was James who removed his glasses to dampen his tears. Upon replacing them on the bridge of his nose he bent down and kissed his boy deeply and warmly on his forehead.

'I love you.' He voiced as he withdrew. He then took Harry's right hand in his as Lily leaned forwards.

She gazed down at her son, taking in every inch of him within a second. She too bowed over Harry like her husband. Her face was so close to his now that she closed the gap and gently placed her cheek besides his. She remained like this for a moment or two before returning her gaze to his face. She kissed him on his cheek where she had just lay. Untold emotion seeping from her as she wept onto his face. 

'We're always here Harry…' She whispered quietly beneath her sobs. She looked up at James who smiled as lips trembled. 'We love you forever…sleep my darling…'

She kissed him once more and then stood straight, gazing down at him as he soundly slept. James reached his free hand across and over Harry and Lily took it in hers and there they continued to stand until Remus and Sirius came up behind them.

Sirius remained behind James as Remus made his way over to Lily. Each placed a hand on the shoulder of their respective partner. To Lily and James who still held hands the extra comfort was greatly appreciated.

Harry received all of their full attention. It was so reminiscent to how it had been when he had just been born. And then in the short, happy months that had ensued afterwards when they would just stand over him and wonder at his tiny sleeping form- so much innocence and hope was contained within him then and it could still be seen there now.

The minutes ticked by and seemed to stretch on forever. This was goodbye, for now. It was time now; the sunlight was creeping up the vast stretch of the hospital wing.

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I'm sorry that the chapter looks longer than it actually is but that is on account of the heart-felt thanks that I must bestow below. But before that I just have to explain that one last cliffie^^^. Grrr…I _don't like it but it had to happen for the sake of the Epilogue. Because in order to have an Epilogue I have to have something to write in it._

I've got to say that I actually got teary eyed in writing this. Especially as Lily and James say their 'I love yous' and parting messages to Harry.

I really did like my eyelids, hands, eyelashes, foreheads and cheeks in this chapter didn't I? Hehehe!

Oh well…so, next chapter the last one and then the Epilogue…sniff…

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Thanks once again for all of the reviews! I've said it once and I'll say it again and again…I love _reading them and cannot thank you all enough for taking the time to review as I _love _knowing what you think! Thank you, thank you, thank you!_

Stinky Stan- I know, I know! I'm sorry! I don't know what it is. I'd like to say that I plan it but I don't! I tend to write the chapters late at night/early in the morning and am not always responsible for my actions at those un-Earthly hours!

Bessyboo- I hope that this chapter was good enough! As far as I can foresee he will have some recollections of the previous night in the next and final chapter so we'll just have to wait and see what happens…I mean _you_ because _I _know what happens *nervous laugh* huh hmmm…_anyway! _

Captain Oblivious- Hey! Like the new name! Your fic sounds great and I can't wait to read the ones in the pipeline as well! So has Daniel Beddingfied really made it big in the US then? They keep telling us that he has over here but nobody really believes them! (Who are _them_? Hum…) Can't wait to read! You write song fics so well! And in the dictionary of Louise _'seeingness'_ is very much a word! Trust me! It's there!

Aconite- I'm glad that you understand *wipes brow*. Yeah…I noticed that Harry was a _little _*scoffs* on edge in OotP…hmmm…I'm sure that it is all for some higher purpose that will ultimately be revealed in Books 6 and 7…like _everything _else, but it really did get on my nerves! 

Chocolate Taco- Well, I've been back there for four days now and it is not as bad as I thought that it would be…lots of frees and classes with friends! Gotta love that! Not as surprised as me I can tell you! I'm so surprised and *very* happy about the reaction to the chapter! Phew! Thanks! Yeah, I thought that it was sweet of Frank to do that for Bertha…bless him! Thanks for reviewing 'A Marauder By Any Other Name' by the by. It hadn't actually occurred to me about the handwriting matching up on the board! 

azntgr01- Thank you! Maybe it seemed shorter because I kept backtracking and repeating myself and seeing windows and bits of moonlight over and over again in the same chapter! Hehehe! It has been the longest chapter so far…

Alphie- Thank you so much for reviewing! Tell me about it! We know so little about Lily and James and their short time spent with Harry, and even less about their time spent with Remus and Sirius…and Peter. Hopefully in the final books there will be plenty of revelations! There must be because *that night* is the key to everything and yet we know so little about what actually happened between James, Lily and Voldemort. You already know all of this…I'm just letting off steam! Huh hmmm…excuse me! 

Mystic Catface- Hope that the Harry_ness _of the chapter was OK! Let me know! Yeah, I was actually a little 'iffy' about Frank thinking about his Mum but I put it in seeing as I was concentrating on him (never planned to do that in so much detail!) and I'm glad that you liked it! 

Crystal, Lily, James and Sirius- Thanks! And I hope that you had a nice time!

Dutch Lily Flower- Thank you! And you be updating too!

The Morrigan Three- GOD! As in good…or GOD! As in bad? lol! 

Authoress- Thank you and tell me about it! I'm back now but it is not nearly as bad as I thought that it would be! Phew! 

Isis Stormwing- Thank you! Not many fits…just a lot of melancholy if you ask me! *sigh* Hope that you liked…

Lisa Meunier- Thank you! Yeah, it is *really* sad that he declined. I was writing it and I didn't know which direction I would take until I actually wrote it. I think that the whole key to it is that he will _have _to leave and that he is just genuinely putting his parents before himself, as they will feel even more helpless having to watch him go than they do now, although they might have appreciated the choice. That's how I see Cedric though. He's also got that teenage pride thing that Harry seems to possess about not crying and wanting to act like a man even if he is not expected to.

Katrina Littlebird- *gasp* _shipping bunnies! _*gasp*! lol! I guess that it could work! Yeah…it _was _James. Not too cheesy was it? It just came to me…huh hmmm. *gasp* The _first _and the _last _chapter! *gasp* (quite out of breath by now) I can't exactly put it into words as to how the ending comes about…too little space and you _need _to read it! If you can't read all of it then you should at least check out the ending to the second to last chapter…heartbreaking, and so well written! But you should read the whole piece eventually, really, really worth it! Thanks for reviewing! And thanks for taking a look at 'Godric's Hollow'- yup…short! 

misschickapee- Thank you! I'm glad that you like! 

Glamenessence- Thank you very much and thank you for all of the reviews! Very, very much appreciated! I'm glad that you like the interactions between Sirius, Remus, James and Lily. I really enjoyed writing them and I just hope that they came across OK!

This Parrot has ceased to be- _Love _that sketch! I won't start ranting about the greatness of Monty Python because I *will* be here _all day_! Thank you very, very much! You're review meant a lot to me. Just out of interest, how did you come across my fic? It's just I always wonder how people manage to find and review it days after I've posted. Again thank you!

tv-fan-06- Hey! Yeah, I've been having some troubles with Author Alert lately. Hmmm…Anyway, thank you for reviewing! Hope that the Harry_ness_ of this chapter was OK… 

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Thank you once again so much for reading this far and for taking the time to review! Very, very much appreciated! (Understatement!) 


	8. We Will Linger For Only Moments

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Disclaimer- Once again I write this in the wee hours of the morning where inspiration is scarce and unfortunately enthusiasm wanes, as sleep seems the more appealing option. If you're still reading thank you as I'm still typing and it's taking a lot of strength. Then again had I just typed that 'JK Rowling wrote the Harry Potter books upon which this fic is based' in the first place I could probably have been asleep by now. Hoom hoom…

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A/N- One more chapter to go after this one…and that's the Epilogue. This is quite a fast paced chapter but I think that it needed to be to try and convey the confusion and panic felt by the characters. Oh well, we'll see! Thanks so much once again and as always for the reviews…hope that you ENJOY!

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Chapter 8- 'We Will Linger For Only Moments'

The sun was seeping up the floor towards Harry's bed. The four people that stood around it looked upon it as if it was death itself come to claim them and their friends.

'It's time…' James mumbled.

Lily composed herself, wiping away the tears. 'Yes…' she replied.

Cedric, Bertha, Frank and Dumbledore came up behind them. 

Dumbledore's eyes swept over the sleeping Harry and then drifted between James and Lily who also had their eyes downcast in Harry's direction. So much waste. He shook his head solemnly as he resigned himself once more to the thoughts that had plagued him for years.

Frank spoke. 'So-er, this is, this is young Harry then is it? - Your boy?'

Lily and James nodded in the affirmative and for all that the occasion would allow them beamed with pride.

'I'm sure you've 'eard it enough tonigh' son…' he said, patting James on the back. 'But 'e is the splitting image of yer!'

'Thank you…' James gulped.

'He seems a credit to yer both. You should both be very proud!' He continued.

'We are.' Lily finished the pride evident in her voice. She then turned to face Remus who stood behind her and in a quiet voice asked. 'Remus- what happens now?'

Remus seemed to be choosing his words very carefully. Truth be told he did not know how they would leave, he was trying to ensure that his voice would be level, and to gulp back the tears that were already playing in his eyes.

'Um…it, it will happen…' Was all that he managed to say. The tears came. Lily smiled at him through her own tears and turned around fully to hug him.

'You take care of yourself Remus.' She urged, rubbing his back. 'And watch out for that idiot over there too!' She motioned over to Sirius who was a wreck. Yet he managed to release his usual bark like laugh, unchanged through time and suffering. 

Remus chuckled ruefully. He looked over Lily's shoulder to James. 

That was the James Potter that he knew, loved and remembered. He stood, tall and proud. The tears glittering in his eyes only seemed to add to his resilience. 'You two take care of yourselves…stick together…' he whispered.

They both smiled.

'It doesn't look like I have much choice in the matter!' Lily tried to reply tartly.

'Likewise, my dear.' James replied, flashing his lopsided grin.

Sirius and Remus beamed instead of rolling their eyes, as they were wont to do in the past when such a bickering match would commence. Now it was music to their ears. 

Dumbledore smiled broadly and genuinely for perhaps the first time that night. Frank was also surveying the scene happily; he was content and pleased to be in the company of such people.

Bertha had calmed now. She no longer cried. She wore a set expression, one of acceptance. There was still a part of her that believed, or hoped that she might wake up from this, but it was not an incredibly realistic thought. She knew this. But she had people with her and she was timidly ready for what might await them.

Cedric again surveyed Lily and James. They were not afraid of going, he concluded. It was the going itself that caused them all of this pain, having to leave their son and their friends. 

'At least they got to say goodbye…' he mused. The thought quailed him. Without thinking he quickly turned to Dumbledore.

'Tell them…tell them that I love them…please…' He blurted out. 'And…if, if it's not too much trouble, sir…just, make sure that they're all right…please.' Cedric looked to his feet. 

Some were politely looking away as he spoke; others were staring at him, pity evident in their eyes.

Dumbledore once again grasped his shoulder and turned Cedric fully to face him.

'Cedric…you can…'

But as he began to speak Dumbledore found that he could no longer grasp Cedric's shoulder. The Hufflepuff colours were fading into a gray and then slowly into transparency. Cedric looked up into his headmaster's eyes, startled. But he knew what was happening. He looked across to the others whose eyes had all widened. He managed to smile at them. His gaze then fell on the sleeping form of Harry.

He turned back and looked up at Dumbledore. 'Make him understand, tell him that he was in no way to blame.'

A weighty pause followed this statement. 'That I will Cedric, dear boy.' Dumbledore replied. Admiration shone from his face troubled and there was no greater compliment that Cedric could take with him.

Without warning Cedric suddenly stiffened making everyone jump. He appeared not to see those around him anymore. He looked to his right sharply, past Lily and Remus and squinted intensely, as if trying to see something that was unclear. He kept casting quick, quizzical looks to his left. 

This continued for about a minute before his eyes widened and his mouth opened in shock. He blinked and then he was gone. The transparency had reached such a level that he had simply faded from before their very eyes. Everyone had watched this unfold in complete shock.

Cedric was gone. Dread and panic settled in the pit of everyone's stomachs.

'Oh! This is it!' Bertha exclaimed.

'It's happening' Frank said. He raised his right hand before his face. It was misty, losing colour and turning gray. Frank looked at it in wonder and then saw through it and looked at James, Lily and Bertha. 'I guess I'll be seein' you soon then…' He smiled.

Frank then stiffened as Cedric had. His right arm rose in an arch by his side, he appeared to be holding a walking stick. He was glaring at something that, given the height, was sitting before him. His expression then changed and the arm that held his 'walking stick' released it and remained suspended and tense in mid air. He opened his mouth so wide and for all that they could see he was screaming as loud as his lungs would permit him. 

James remembered what Frank had told him earlier that night…about a _child_. The memories of his description made him shudder as he watched Frank…who was no more…

Remus and Sirius caught each other's eyes, they were horrified. They would be watching Lily and James' final moments of life- unable to do anything.

'No!' Bertha gasped. She held out her hands before her. She could now easily see through them. 'No! No! No!' she cried. She pleadingly looked up at those around her; her eyes were filled with tears.

'Bertha…Bertha, listen to me…' Lily trembled, but Bertha had stiffened.

Her opaque form collapsed to the floor on her knees and was crying harder than she had been tonight. She was in hysterics. She seemed to be pleading to someone who stood above her on her right but her eyes would constantly flash to something on her level. 'No! No! No! Please, please…' she was mouthing. She was terrified. 

In that terror her eyes widened as she let out what surely would have been an ear-splitting scream, she held her hands up to her eyes as she slowly disappeared.

James rushed past Sirius and Dumbledore and practically pushed Remus out of the way as he hurried around the bed to where Lily stood.

'Lily, Lily…' he cupped her face within his hands. 'Lily, wait for me Lily. I'll be there.' He cried.

'I'll wait, James.' She sobbed back. They hugged each other so tightly that it hurt, but they could not embrace tightly enough. Sirius and Remus were there in an instant and hugging them both for all that they were worth. They all wept onto each other's shoulders. Lily quickly kissed them all goodbye. 

And then they couldn't hold her anymore. 

She swept down once more to be beside Harry.

'I love…' she began, but was cut off. Her arms leapt up to her chest where she seemed to be cradling something as she stood up straight. She was crying. Sirius, Remus and James looked on helplessly; sobs were racking their bodies. Dumbledore quietly shed tears from behind them. 

Lily was pleading to someone who towered above her.

'Lily!' James tried to reach out to her but his hand brushed straight through her. He brought both hands up to his temples in frustration and pulled down on his hair. 'No!' He groaned through gritted teeth. Sirius and Remus stood staring, transfixed and trembling.

Lily quickly kissed the Harry that she held in her arms, bent down, put him on the floor and fully faced what was Voldemort. She still cried but no longer looked terrified she now wore an expression of resolve. Her still-green eyes darted upwards and she whispered something to the ceiling before she screamed. Lily's echo then went limp before disappearing.

James felt as though his legs were collapsing from beneath him. He was completely consumed by grief.

Remus and Sirius whipped around to face him.

'Prongs…Prongs…' Sirius gasped as he took James by the shoulders and shook him. 

James' eyes met his and it sent a chill down Sirius' spine to see him looking so…empty.

Remus looked at his friend and remembered what Harry had told him over a year ago during a Patronus lesson. That James had sacrificed his life to give Lily a chance to run for it. That Lily and Harry meant more to him than life.

Sirius and Remus collapsed upon James as they held him. Tears still ran down James' cheeks as Remus and Sirius retched with sobs. 

'I love you…' James croaked. Sirius and Remus looked at him. The emotion that they held in their eyes could not be expressed in words, but James had spoken for all of them. It was then that they could no longer hold him. 

James quickly looked down at Harry. 'Protect him and take…'

'We will, Prongs.' Sirius interrupted and tried to smile as reassuringly as he could. 

'Prongs, find Lily…' Remus hurriedly added. 

James knew what to expect and he couldn't waste time. He quickly bent down towards Harry once more and managed to briefly kiss him on his forehead, although it was a kiss that Harry would never have felt, before snapping back upwards. 

He stood, straight-backed and proud. He glared through Remus and Sirius who stood before him with a look of uttermost hatred. His right hand was outstretched where he would have held his wand. His mouth moved as he sent out curses. He was blasted to the ground once or twice. 

Sirius and Remus flinched at every injury, made worse in the knowledge of what was coming.

James' eyes widened but he still tried to scowl at Voldemort, who towered above him. He did not scream, but the expression on his face was perhaps worse to witness. Terror. 

Sirius blanched at it, even more so than Remus. It was the look that Sirius had found on James' face when he had found his best friend, thirteen years ago, in the rubble of Godric's Hollow.

Lifeless, pale and terrified. It was that last look that James held as he vanished before their eyes.

*

He had burst through the door and was before her now.

'No! James…no!' She gasped.

Voldemort did not even answer her; he seemed not to hear her. He simply took a step forwards and advanced, his red eyes never leaving the bundle that she cradled in her trembling arms. 

Lily followed his gaze. Understanding immediately what would happen next.

_'Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!'_

Voldemort's eyes never left her baby. They slowly widened, desire played within them as he beheld the child.

_'Stand aside, you silly girl…stand aside, now…'_

'Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead-'

And still those red eyes never relented in their pursuit of their prey. Lily was trembling. 

She looked down at Harry. His eyes were wide and confused. He did not know why his mother cried or why she was now kissing him goodbye. 

Lily quickly bent down and carefully placed him on the floor behind her.

_'Not Harry! Please…have mercy…have mercy…'_

For the first time Voldemort's eyes flickered up to meet Lily's. They considered her for an instant before his shrill voice began to laugh.

Lily knew what was coming. She blinked back her tears and looked up.

'Wait for me James.' She whispered. She could only hope that she would be with him. 

And then she was.

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I wasn't too sure about putting this chapter in actually. I think that I could have gone straight onto the Epilogue comfortably enough. The thing is though that I wanted some closure over the whole Priori Incantatem business seeing as it is the root to the whole fic. Hmmm…oh well, it's posted now…I'd love to know what you think!

And just in case…

Basically in this chapter Dumbledore, Sirius and Remus would have witnessed the last moments of the lives of James, Lily, Cedric, Bertha and Frank- just prior to the last memories that they all held. Watching the echo's last moments of life being replayed would be like watching a projection without any sound or props. So they did not see baby Harry, James' wand, Cedric's wand or Frank's walking stick; but the echo of them held the props as they were reliving those moments in their _present…_

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Next Chapter

The Epilogue.

Closures, confrontations and getting-oning-ness…

Stinky Stan- Thank you!…and for all of the reviews!

Bessyboo- No problems! Thanks for reading!

Dutch Lily Flower- No problem! Keep Updating!

Chocolate Taco- Don't blame you, although I have this…huh hmmm…_theory _that Sirius still has a part to play in the books as his death was just too sudden to be his end. Some have told me that this is denial…but I don't think that it is…*wipes eyes* excuse me…

tv-fan-06- I know. I did *really* want to write it…but I just couldn't. It had to fit in with OotP. The Epilogue though will fit some 'things' in.

Mystic Catface- …one more to go, then that's it! Thanks for everything…and be updating you…for I am a widow's son outlawed…and my orders _must _be obeyed.

Justin11- No problem. Um, in the books Bertha and Frank have never actually _met_, as I'm sure you know. In this fic Frank becomes the most resigned of the group in regards to his fate and Bertha is the most timid. I thought that it would be nice to have Frank- a muggle, comfort Bertha- a witch. No relationship implied- purely platonic!

Titanic-HarryPotter-lvr-2- Thank you very much! And thanks for reviewing; I really appreciate knowing what you think. And please post something, I'd love to read some of your work…if you could email me when you do that would be great!

Captain Oblivious- Yup…thought so. They always say 'Craig David…BIG, Robbie Williams…not so BIG'- yuk! Talking about them on _my_ fic! Bleurh! I do love that song. It came out about a year ago over here and I'm really looking forward to reading your take on it. 

Lisa Meunier- Yeah…I did get a little teary. That could also be explained by my listening to one of my 'Chillout' Albums again…coupled with what I was writing…hmmm! Thank you!

azntgr01- lol. Thanks! The thing about this fic is that it is meant to fit into the transition between GoF and OotP. That means that I can't change anything too drastically. With the Dursleys' Harry is there because of the blood protection and I assume that that would have been one of the things that would have been discussed whilst they all sat in Dumbledore's office.

Aconite- Orh! Thanks!

The Morrigan Three- I'm writing this and the time is 1:55 *yawn*- I'm just weird like that I guess! Huh hmmm…I hope that this chapter answered most of your questions. What did you think about the way in which they went? Was it OK? The Epilogue will answer the question as to what Harry remembers…

This Parrot has ceased to be- Yup…that's how I find a lot of fics too! Thank you very much for the reviews. I really appreciate knowing what you think!

Authoress- Thank you very much! I know what you mean about fanfics sustaining you through school!…and movies, and books…and there are other things, I'm sure! Huh hmmm…

Alphie- Yup…canon approach! I wanted the fic to be a believable transition between GoF and OotP…well, as believable as it could be…huh hmmm…but Lily and James will make an appearance in the Epilogue…

poetbrit- Thank you!

Katrina Littlebird- Thank you very much. I'm glad that you liked and that it worked for you. I just couldn't wake him up, I couldn't…sniff. No problem, as I said in my review I am a R/Hr kinda believer but after reading 'The Required Person' the possibilities of H/Hr, particularly post-OotP seemed more realistic due to your characterisation. Are you going to continue with it?

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Thanks again for the reviews… 


	9. Epilogue

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Disclaimer- Hello this is Templa Otmena and welcome to Prior the Incantatem (dot net…via JK Rowling)

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A/N- There's not much to say here. All I can say is once again thank you for sticking with this fic. It is a story that I would have had to get out of my system anyway, even if no one had reviewed. But thanks to all that have reviewed for your continual comments and encouragement. ENJOY!

****

Epilogue

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The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

****

Dumbledore sat at his desk. He sat silently and still. There was no one there to disturb him yet still he did not move. 

Perhaps it was tiredness that had finally overcome him for he did look so still that he could have been asleep. But in looking closer it could be seen that he blinked from time to time and that he breathed, shakily.

He had sat like this for some time and he was content to remain there. 

But life had to go on. 

Another day had dawned and with it had come yet more problems, this one laden with more than any other. And yet with it there came hope. 

Dumbledore released a heavy sigh and shifted in his chair. 

Their hope lay in the hospital wing, and through the sacrifices of others was he there. So much life, so much young life had been wasted. It could not be in vain. The light had to prevail.

The old wizard adamantly stood and no longer looked tired. The full strength and power of Dumbledore was always revealed in moments of stealth and conviction and this moment was of no exception. In that moment it could be fully understood why people said Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort had ever feared. A sense of power radiated from Dumbledore as though he was giving off burning heat. 

And then it was gone. His expression relaxed into a slight frown and a tear could be seen trickling down Dumbledore's face into his long silver beard.

For a while he stood like this, once more lost in his thoughts.

It was the noise of hundreds of people moving towards the same destination that brought him back to his senses.

Life had to go on.

Another day had dawned.

Dumbledore blinked back his tears. He effortlessly made his way across his office and was at his door in an instant. He opened it and disappeared from sight down the staircase and past the stone gargoyle.

Another day had dawned…

*

Sirius Black fell in a heap to the ground. 

'Humph!' 

Remus Lupin appeared beside him and stifled a laugh. Sirius looked up at him and scowled.

'Don't you start.'

Remus once again bit back his laughter and helped Sirius to his feet.

'Well?' Sirius urged.

'I wasn't going to say a thing.' Remus half-heartedly assured him.

'Its been a long time since I Apparated…practice…see you do better…' He muttered. 

Remus rolled his eyes as he waited for Sirius to brush himself off. He then narrowed them in concern for far from the first time that morning.

'Sirius…' He slowly implored. 

Sirius looked up at him with a tired expression. He already knew what he was going to say.

'Yes.' He hurriedly answered.

'But…the risk, Padfoot…think of Harry…' _Think of me…_

Sirius exhaled heavily and shut his eyes. 'I know, Moony…but I have to see them…'

It was evident from the longing in Remus' eyes that he too held the same desire. But caution was there. He couldn't lose Sirius. He'd lost James and Lily all over again last night and to lose Sirius…it was too much, the risk was too great.

'Moony.' Sirius reached out to his friend's shoulder and grasped it tightly. 'Everything will be all right. I promise.'

Remus snorted and then reproachfully nodded upon seeing the serious look upon his friend's face. 

'Right.' Sirius said, his tone matching his expression.

'It's this way.' Remus implored. He began to lead the way down the gravel path that crunched so loudly beneath the feet of the two men.

'I know.' Sirius quietly said.

Remus threw him a quizzical look, Sirius answered it.

'After I escaped, I…I came here first…I had to…' he quickly admitted.

Remus nodded and then turned away. 

He always found it painful coming here. Seeing them. It made it cold and it made it real. 

He had come here many times, especially in the months following their deaths. It was all that he could do for them. He couldn't have Harry. He'd tried but his lycanthropy had never left him in much doubt as to the outcome. 

But he _had_ chosen this place for them, a quiet corner where they could forever rest. He had not, however, been here since Lily's birthday at least six months ago and he dreaded to see the disrepair in which their grave had fallen into.

Remus shuddered. James and Lily had a grave. The thought always quailed him. He willed himself to look up into the morning sun to try to feel some of its warmth. It helped. 

Sirius looked over to his friend. He smiled to himself. Despite everything that had happened Sirius was happier this morning than he had been in thirteen years. 

This time just over a year ago he had not had Remus and he had not had Harry. And last night he had seen Lily and James. 

Sirius could not even think of sleep for fear that he would wake up and find that last night had all been a dream. He knew that it wasn't but he wanted to enjoy the feeling and the memories for as long as he could hold them without sleep fogging them. Staying awake made the gap between he, James and Lily smaller as the memories were still so clear. 

He released a sigh. 

Being near Godric's Hollow again was so strange. Sirius felt that all it would take was for him to run back up the road, past the cemetery and there he would find James at his door. Waving gleefully with one hand and balancing Harry in the other as Lily enclosed his waist within her arms. 

He closed his eyes tight shut. He would never forgive himself. But they had forgiven him. James had told him over and over as he sat before Dumbledore's desk that he forgave him, and that it was not necessary to seek his forgiveness. 

Now maybe the nightmares would stop. Lily would not hide as he approached them. And Prongs would no longer run from him. 

Sirius too found himself relishing in the sunlight but no sooner had he resigned himself to bathing in its warmth that he found himself before the grave of two of his best friends. His family. 

Remus had abruptly stopped before them but now both he and Sirius edged that little bit closer.

James and Lily lay together, beneath the same headstone. Remus had wanted them to always be together. Never alone. 

Their tombstone was overgrown with the thick grass that surrounded it and it pained them both to see it so. Remus fell to his knees beside it and began gently pulling at the overgrowth that covered it. Sirius lowered himself at the opposite side and did the same.

They worked silently; the only noise was the tearing of grass and the soft thud as it hit the ground nearby.

About ten minutes later when both were satisfied with their work they stood and backed away slightly, staring at what lay before them. 

__

In Everlasting Memory. 

Once more Sirius and Remus sank to the ground before the tombstone, this time side by side. 

__

Of James and Lily Potter. 

The images of last night blossomed within their minds, still crisp and fresh. It was a relief to have it so, to them both. It had been a gift for which they would be eternally thankful. 

__

Devoted Friends.

The thought had entered both of their minds of telling Harry all that had unfolded. 

But James and Lily had said goodbye in their own way. Remus and Sirius had watched them in the hospital wing as they had been with him. It was both a wonderful and heartbreaking moment to behold for it was something that they would never again see. 

But they had seen it and Lily and James, in whatever form, had had that chance.

__

Loving Parents.

Last night seemed to have re-ignited with a greater vigour a flame that had always burned within the chests of Remus and Sirius. Vengeance. James and Lily would be avenged, as would the countless others. However long it took those at fault would pay for all that they had done. They would both see to it. Through last night their resolve was set more steadfastly than it ever had.

Silence had descended upon them, as it was wont to. But they were content with the company and the place.

*

Harry Potter lay within the hospital wing. He was staring up at the ceiling. He felt as though he wanted to cry, that he should cry. But it was as though he had been through too much to take it anymore. 

The recollections were very painful. He wished that he could fall asleep again, forever. Just slip away, unnoticed. But he couldn't now. 

Too many people had died. He owed them something. He did not know what yet, but he was alive for a purpose. 

His most painful memory, perhaps because it was so fresh, even fresher than the events of the previous night, was playing over in his mind again. It was his meeting with the Diggorys that had taken place that morning.

__

He _finally found the courage to look up into the faces of Mr and Mrs Diggory. Mr Diggory sobbed as he had done since he had entered the hospital wing. Every one pained Harry mortally. Mrs Diggory's grief seemed to be beyond tears. _

And yet Harry found that he could believe them now. They had told him that they did not blame him for what had happened; on the contrary, that they were eternally grateful to him for returning Cedric's body to them. Their eyes held concern for him. He felt his chin tremble. Mrs Diggory took this opportunity to speak.

'He suffered very little, then,' she said, Harry had just told her how Cedric had died. 'And after all, Amos…he died just when he'd won the Tournament. He must have been happy.'

They sat in silence for the rest of the interview.

When they had got to their feet, Mrs Diggory looked down at Harry and said, 'You look after yourself, now.'

Harry seized the sack of gold on the bedside table.

'You take this,' he muttered to her. 'It should've been Cedric's, he got there first, you take it.'

But she backed away from him. 'Oh, no, it's yours, dear, we couldn't…you keep it.'

Harry squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again, trying to quieten his mind. He looked around for something to do to try and busy himself. His eyes fell upon the sack of gold to his left that now sat upon the chair that Mrs Weasley had occupied the previous night.

It glittered in the sunlight. He regarded it for a moment, his eyebrows knotted together in confusion. Something…something he wanted to remember…

He opened his mouth in disbelief.

His mother's face.

His father's voice.

Harry sat up with a jerk and looked around him. The memory was so clear.

His mother's face.

His father's voice.

He lay down again, trying to recall the memory. He screwed up his face in concentration but nothing happened. 

After a few moments Harry turned his head to his left so that he was once again facing the chair and the gold. He closed his eyes and then snapped them open where to Harry were revealed eyes that were undeniably his. They were settled upon his face and filled with loving tears.

Harry's eyes widened before lapsing. He couldn't stay awake.

Lily reached out her hand to Harry's cheek and stoked it comfortingly. Harry mumbled something incoherent and turned his head slightly to his right so that he was facing the ceiling. 

Lily looked up at James who was watching them both in awe. His eyes sparkled in the light that was pouring into the room. He placed his hand on Harry's head and gently released a soothing tone, meant for his son but that also succeeded in calming himself and Lily.

'Ssssshhhhh…Harry…Ssssshhhhh…'

Lily smiled and blinked back her tears. 

'Go back to sleep, Harry.' James continued softly. 'Everything's going to be all right' He whispered.

Harry released a non-committal sound. He wanted to fight the slumber that was overcoming him but there seemed to be no point, as he felt safe as it took him. 

His mother's face.

His father's voice.

A love and comfort like he had never known filled him as he drifted away beneath the light of the midday sun.

~ * ~

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And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening Robert Frost

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That's it! I'm done! I've ended it and I'm happy with it…I think! The Harry ending was something that I'd thought about since I began. It, I think, fits in with GoF and OotP and yet leaves all of the issues unresolved with a sort of finality…I hope! *gulp* lol!

There's nothing more to say except to launch into the individuals…

Stinky Stan- Yup! It's ended! Phew! I needed to move on! I've been on an ultimate HP high since June and it has only just slipped. If it hadn't have been for this fic…and for FanFiction as a whole this summer where I could… 'channel'…_stuff_…I'm sure that it would have lasted for a whole lot unhealthier time longer…and with me when I say _unhealthy _I mean _unhealthy_! I'm ready to move onto pastures new…until huh hmmm…probably next week…cough cough cough…Thank you so much for always reviewing Julia!…get writing! *grins*

Mystic Catface- I do not *pretend* to be modest…this fic was a labour of love and enabled me to deal with a *lot* of pent up HP angst. Thanks for all of the excess reading that you have generously carried out! Forever appreciated! Now…run along you, you Great Orlando (cough cough…random Ned Kelly quote…but not…hmmm…) and get working on _Where the Dead Walk_…why are you even reading this? Get going…NOW…but seeing as you're here, you might as well review…*smiles sweetly*

Dutch Lily Flower- Thank you…and thank you so much for continually reading and reviewing. It made you cry? It was a distressing chapter to write. I didn't have a plan and it just happened as I wrote so I got quite teary eyed along the way as well! You be writing more so that I can read more!

Nitte iz- Hey! Thanks for reading and reviewing! And thank you more so for writing _Hold Me While I'm Here_. Now get writing more…

This Parrot has ceased to be- You did? I cried whilst writing this chapter too, more so than I did the last one. And no problems. I always try to check out the work of people that take the time to review me. Huh hmmm…please continue with _This Way of Existing_ as soon as may be. It is well written and I really want to see how the your version of events and characterisation develops…may you connect with Peter *smiles through a cringe*! lol! Thanks for taking the time to read and review!

azntgr01- Thank you very much…and for taking the time to read and review. And…you get posting! I want to read!

Chocolate Taco- Yup! Closure is needed! Obviously not just for Harry but for us…we need it…cliffie too severe; Sirius closing-off-ing_ness_ is needed…hmmm…Thank you so very much for reading and always reviewing this fic. They all meant so much and I loved knowing what you thought! Thank you!

Captain Oblivious- Firstly, hey! I've just read and reviewed _If You're Not The One_…took me a while to get there but I made it on account of stupid schoolwork! Humph! And it sure was worth the wait! It was horrible to write for the characters (their 'deaths') but probably in a senile and deranged way I enjoyed getting it out *shrugs*…is that wrong? lol! Need to read more of your work…go now…

Aconite- Hey! Unexpected huh? Hehehe! I hope that it wasn't so bizarre that it was just plain weird! lol! Thank you. And thanks for always reading and reviewing, every one much appreciated! Have you got any fics up anywhere? If you have or if you are planning on posting any could you please email me to let me know, as I'd love to read some of your work! Thanks again!

Katrina Littlebird- Yeah…no Harry. I just couldn't do it, it didn't fit. I hope that the way that I integrated him and Lily and James was…OK *again with the gulp*…I'm happy enough but I'd really like to know what you think. Thanks for everything…all of the reading all of the reviews…*sigh*…I'm not all too fond of Brit schools either…*sigh*…

tv-fan-06- It's written! Phew! I finished…thanks for r/ring and get writing and posting ASAP!

Glamenessence- …it's posted! Thanks for all of the wonderful things that you said…very, very much appreciated…as are all of your reviews. Thank you! I am not going to write *that* quote, as you suggested…you're watching a certain something right now so it's of no consequence whether I do or don't! _'And then I'm gonna take that inch!'_…you happy? Written by me but for you!

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Also to Alphie, Authoress, The morrigan three, Lisa Meunier, Titanic-HarryPotter-lvr-2, Bessyboo, Crystal, Lily, James and Sirius, madabouterangelharrypotter and Justin11.

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Gone overboard? I don't care! As my first proper fic I couldn't have asked for better or more supportive reviewers! And for one last time with the thank you!

Cough cough…review…cough cough…please…huh hmmm…


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